May 8 (Reuters) - Chemicals maker Celanese beat

first-quarter profit estimates on Wednesday, helped by a steady

rise in demand for its products amid persistent destocking

trends.

Destocking, a process by which companies offload excess

inventory, had plagued chemicals companies amid soft demand.

This trend, however, is expected to slow down this year as

demand picks up in key regions such as the U.S., Europe and

China.

The company said volumes increased by 5% "sequentially" due

to a "modest increase in Asia demand and seasonal recovery in

the Americas and Europe", and pricing rose by 1%.

"We saw the realization of financial benefits from actions

that were completed last year, particularly within the former

M&M portfolio," CEO Lori Ryerkerk said.

The Dallas-based company also initiated its second-quarter

profit per share guidance between $2.60 and $3.00. Analysts, on

an average, were expecting profit to be $2.92 per share in the

same period.

The company reported adjusted profit of $2.08 per share for

the three months ended March 31, compared to analysts' estimate

of $1.91, according to LSEG data.