Feb 11 (Reuters) - DuPont de Nemours ( DD ) raised its

2025 profit forecast and beat fourth-quarter earnings estimates

on Tuesday, as the industrial materials maker benefited from

strong demand for electronics and a recovery in its water and

protection segment.

Improvement in U.S. manufacturing activity and a growing

market for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence-based

technology boosted profit for DuPont ( DD ), which is involved in chip

fabrication, packaging and assembly.

DuPont's ( DD ) electronics and industrial unit, the biggest in

terms of turnover, reported a 10.6% jump in fourth-quarter net

sales.

Meanwhile, its water and protection segment, which had been

on a decline due to weak China demand, posted a 6.4% increase in

sales, largely through higher volumes for medical packaging

products in healthcare markets.

Earlier this year, the company said it had plans to split

into three publicly traded companies to pursue focused growth,

but has now decided against selling its water and protection

unit, which manufactures water purification technologies and

provides medical packaging among other services.

DuPont ( DD ) now plans to spin off only its electronics business

and expects to complete the transaction by November 1.

It expects full-year adjusted earnings between $4.30 and

$4.40 per share, higher than its forecast of $3.70 to $3.80 for

2024.

Analysts expect it to post adjusted earnings of $4.33 per

share for 2025.

The company forecast sales of $12.8 billion to $12.9

billion, also above its last year's range. Analysts, however,

are expecting $12.92 billion.

For the fourth quarter, Dupont ( DD ) reported an adjusted profit

of $1.13 per share, beating analysts' average expectation of 98

cents.