WILMINGTON, Delaware, May 5, 2026, 16:05 EDT
DuPont de Nemours Inc. hiked its sales and profit outlook for 2026 on Tuesday, pairing the move with a $275 million accelerated share buyback after first-quarter numbers came in ahead of expectations, lifting shares. Net sales climbed 4% for the quarter, and the company said it plans to start the repurchase program shortly.
Timing is key here. With the Middle East conflict rattling oil and petrochemical supplies, investors are zeroed in on whether industrial materials firms can push rising input and logistics costs onto their customers. DuPont, for its part, now expects full-year sales to show about 4% organic growth—baked into that number is roughly 1% in price hikes, enough to blunt higher input costs linked to the conflict.
The update strips out some of the noise, letting investors see post-breakup DuPont more clearly. With Qnity Electronics spun off and the Aramids business sold, what’s left is a leaner operation zeroing in on healthcare, water, construction, and industrial markets. Cash from the Aramids sale is earmarked for capital returns.
DuPont’s first-quarter net sales hit $1.681 billion, a bump from $1.612 billion in the same period last year. Income from continuing operations landed at $150 million. Adjusted earnings per share, which leave out certain items, moved up to 55 cents from 36 cents. Organic sales—excluding effects from currency and portfolio shifts—were up 2%.
Reuters reported DuPont’s adjusted profit topped the 48 cents a share analysts had penciled in, based on LSEG data. The stock climbed to $49.27 late in the session, gaining around 8.5%. Dow Inc., Linde, and 3M registered milder increases in late trading, setting DuPont’s jump against its sector.
“Strong start to the year,” Chief Executive Lori Koch said of the quarter. Chief Financial Officer Antonella Franzen pointed out that pricing moves were designed to “fully offset” input cost increases linked to the Middle East conflict. PR Newswire
DuPont is forecasting net sales for 2026 between $7.155 billion and $7.215 billion, with operating EBITDA coming in somewhere from $1.73 billion to $1.76 billion. Adjusted earnings per share are set for $2.35 to $2.40. EBITDA—earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization—serves as a rough proxy for operating cash profit.
The healthcare and water technologies segment delivered $806 million in sales—a 6% climb—with medical packaging and rising biopharma orders doing the heavy lifting. Water performance lagged, as logistics snags in the Middle East ate into gains seen in industrial water and microelectronics.
Diversified Industrials posted a 3% bump to $875 million in sales, but organic growth barely moved the needle. Building Technologies slipped, hit by sluggish construction. Industrial Technologies, on the other hand, saw gains from aerospace and automotive, though those were trimmed by weakness in printing and packaging.
DuPont wrapped up its Aramids divestiture to Arclin on April 1, pulling in around $1.2 billion in pre-tax cash, plus a $300 million note receivable and a $325 million equity interest in Arclin’s parent. The electronics business carve-out into Qnity was finalized Nov. 1, 2025.
The cost pass-through angle isn’t without pitfalls. Executives, according to Reuters, put stranded costs at roughly $30 million. DuPont cautioned in its filing that results may take a hit depending on how well it counters increases in raw materials, energy, logistics, plus exposure to trade restrictions, geopolitical tensions, and PFAS liabilities.
DuPont is projecting second-quarter sales near $1.8 billion, with operating EBITDA expected around $430 million and adjusted earnings per share landing at roughly 59 cents. The real question now: can those price hikes hold up while supply chains still face disruptions?
