May 6 (Reuters) - Agriculture chemicals maker FMC Corp ( FMC )

reported a first-quarter loss on Monday compared to a

year-ago profit, weighed down by destocking due to excess

inventory and low demand across all its key regions.

The company reported a net loss attributable to FMC

stockholders of $2.7 million, or a loss of 2 cents per share,

compared with net income of $196 million, or $1.55 per share, a

year ago.

Chemical companies have been impacted by destocking

trends due to pandemic-induced excess inventory and sluggish

demand in major markets, including China, the U.S., Latin

American countries and Europe.

The Philadelphia-based company reported net sales for the

quarter at $918 million, compared with $1.34 billion in the

year-ago quarter with its North American segment, which accounts

for about 25% of the company's revenue, slide by 48%.

Low demand and adverse weather conditions have been plaguing

the herbicide marker, which had previously announced that it

intends to lay off 8% of its global workforce and initiated

discharges in its Brazil business.

FMC, in February, had said that it expects to incur pretax

charges in the range of $180 million to $215 million related to

these restructuring actions.

The herbicide maker also reaffirmed its full-year revenue

outlook and adjusted profit per share forecast.

FMC says it sees profit in the second quarter to be between

43 cents and 72 cents, on a per-share basis. Analysts, on

average, had expected second-quarter profit per share of 68

cents, according to LSEG data.

"We expect the market to continue to improve as we progress

through the year and transition to more normal conditions in

2025", said CEO Mark Douglas.