Nov 3 (Reuters) - DuPont raised its annual profit forecasts on Tuesday and projected fourth-quarter earnings above Wall Street estimates as strong demand in its healthcare, aerospace and industrial water markets helped drive a third-quarter earnings beat.
The industrial materials maker has been streamlining its portfolio and focusing on higher-growth end markets such as semiconductors, healthcare, water technologies and aerospace, while returning cash to shareholders through share repurchases and divestitures.
It spun off its electronics business, which includes semiconductor technologies and interconnect solutions, into independent public company Qnity Electronics last year.
DuPont had also increased prices, improved productivity and reduced debt to support earnings amid weak demand in parts of the chemicals market.
The company raised its 2026 adjusted core profit outlook to nearly $1.79 billion, from its previous forecast range of $1.75 billion-$1.77 billion.
It now expects annual adjusted earnings of $7.47-$7.52 per share, compared with $7.17-$7.32 per share previously.
It concluded a $250 million accelerated share repurchase program and substantially completed $100 million of open-market share repurchases during the third quarter, DuPont said.
The company plans to repurchase an additional $250 million of shares in the fourth quarter.
Net sales at its healthcare and water technologies segment rose nearly 4% to $865 million from a year earlier, while sales at its diversified industrials segment increased 4.2% to more than $1 billion.
The company forecast current-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.90-$1.95 per share, above analysts' average estimate of $1.87 apiece, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont reported adjusted profit of $2.09 per share for the three months ended September 30, topping analysts' estimate of $1.87 per share.
(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)