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The company's shares rose 1.6 percent in
premarket trading.
Operating EBITDA margins rose 3 percent to their highest level
since 2005, as Dow's shift in focus to high-margin businesses
from volatile commodity businesses paid off.
However, a strong dollar and weak oil prices weighed on sales.
Sales fell nearly 15 percent to $12.37 billion, missing the
analysts' average estimate of $13.04 billion.
Rival DuPont reported lower-than-expected sales on Tuesday and
said it expects full-year operating earnings to be at the low
end of its forecast due to a strong dollar.
"Looking ahead, we expect geopolitical and economic uncertainty
throughout 2015, although the oil market is projected to be more
favorable behind growing global demand in the coming quarters,"
Chief Executive Andrew Liveris said in a statement.
Net income available to shareholders rose to $1.39 billion, or
$1.18 per share, in the quarter ended March 31, from $964
million, or 79 cents per share, a year earlier.
Operating profit was 84 cents per share, above the analysts'
average estimate of 76 cents.
Up to Wednesday's close of $50.02 on the New York Stock
Exchange, Dow's shares had risen 2.2 percent in the last 12
months.
(Reporting by Swetha Gopinath and Kanika Sikka in Bengaluru;
Editing by Don Sebastian)
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