(Reuters) -Chemicals company Dow Inc ( DOW ) posted a smaller-than-expected adjusted quarterly loss in the third quarter on Thursday, helped by lower costs, higher volumes from new U.S. Gulf Coast assets, and stronger demand in industrial markets, even as global chemical prices remained weak.

Shares of Dow were up 1.4% at $22.00 in premarket trading.

Chemical companies around the world are reassessing their strategies in response to escalating production costs, stagnant market demand and increasingly stringent environmental regulations in the European Union.

Quarterly net sales from its packaging and specialty plastics segment, its largest by revenue, fell 11.3% to $4.89 billion from a year ago.

The Michigan-based company reported an adjusted loss of 19 cents per share for the quarter ended September 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of a loss of 29 cents, according to data compiled by LSEG.