QuickLinks-- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document



UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

Quarterly Report Pursuant to SectionQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) of
OR 15
(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Securities Exchange Act of 1934quarterly period ended SEPTEMBER 

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED June 30, 2005

Commission file numberFile Number:  1-3433

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware


38-1285128

(State or other jurisdiction of

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

incorporation or organization)

38-1285128
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

2030 DOW CENTER, MIDLAND, MICHIGAN  48674

(Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)

989-636-1000

(Registrant'sRegistrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ý NoYes    o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
ý Yes    o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
o Yes    ý Noo

Class



Outstanding at JuneSeptember 30, 2005


Common Stock, par value $2.50 per share

965,122,285 shares

964,587,326 shares






The Dow Chemical Company
Table of Contents


PAGE


PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION


Item 1. Financial Statements.



3


Item 1.

Financial Statements.

3

Consolidated Statements of Income



3


Consolidated Balance Sheets



4


Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows



5


Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income



6


Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements



7


Item 2. Management's

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.



21


Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Information



21


Results of Operations



21

22


Changes in Financial Condition



29

30


Other Matters



31


Other Matters

32

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.



35


Item 4.

Controls and Procedures.



36


PART II—OTHER INFORMATION



PART II – OTHER INFORMATION


Item 1. Legal Proceedings.



37


Item 1.

Legal Proceedings.

37

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.



37


Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.



37


Item 6. Exhibits.


Exhibits.


37


SIGNATURE



39


SIGNATURE

39

EXHIBIT INDEX



40

2




PART I—I - - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 



 Three Months Ended
 Six Months Ended
 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

In millions, except per share amounts (Unaudited)

In millions, except per share amounts (Unaudited)

 June 30,
2005

 June 30,
2004

 June 30,
2005

 June 30,
2004

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

2005

 

2004

 

Net SalesNet Sales $11,450 $9,844 $23,129 $19,153 

 

$

11,261

 

$

10,072

 

$

34,390

 

$

29,225

 

 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales 9,300 8,345 18,637 16,252 
Research and development expenses 271 262 526 513 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 383 347 774 710 
Amortization of intangibles 13 16 27 45 
Restructuring net gain  20  20 
Equity in earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates 224 254 499 394 
Sundry income (expense) — net 57 13 139 (15)
Interest income 27 21 56 39 
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount 188 182 375 368 
 
 
 
 
 

Cost of sales

 

9,610

 

8,697

 

28,247

 

24,949

 

Research and development expenses

 

264

 

248

 

790

 

761

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

379

 

341

 

1,153

 

1,051

 

Amortization of intangibles

 

13

 

19

 

40

 

64

 

Restructuring net gain

 

 

 

 

20

 

Equity in earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates

 

240

 

232

 

739

 

626

 

Sundry income - net

 

39

 

35

 

178

 

20

 

Interest income

 

42

 

19

 

98

 

58

 

Interest expense and amortization of debt discount

 

168

 

193

 

543

 

561

 

Income before Income Taxes and Minority InterestsIncome before Income Taxes and Minority Interests 1,603 1,000 3,484 1,703 

 

1,148

 

860

 

4,632

 

2,563

 

 
 
 
 
 
Provision for income taxes 317 284 825 488 
Minority interests' share in income 21 31 41 61 
 
 
 
 
 

Provision for income taxes

 

328

 

214

 

1,153

 

702

 

Minority interests’ share in income

 

19

 

29

 

60

 

90

 

Net Income Available for Common StockholdersNet Income Available for Common Stockholders $1,265 $685 $2,618 $1,154 

 

$

801

 

$

617

 

$

3,419

 

$

1,771

 

 
 
 
 
 
Share DataShare Data         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per common share—basic $1.31 $0.73 $2.73 $1.23 
Earnings per common share—diluted $1.30 $0.72 $2.69 $1.22 
Common stock dividends declared per share of common stock $0.335 $0.335 $0.67 $0.67 
Weighted-average common shares outstanding—basic 964.1 938.0 960.5 934.9 
Weighted-average common shares outstanding—diluted 976.2 947.9 974.7 945.8 
 
 
 
 
 

Earnings per common share - basic

 

$

0.83

 

$

0.66

 

$

3.55

 

$

1.89

 

Earnings per common share - diluted

 

$

0.82

 

$

0.65

 

$

3.51

 

$

1.87

 

Common stock dividends declared per share of common stock

 

$

0.335

 

$

0.335

 

$

1.005

 

$

1.005

 

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic

 

965.2

 

940.9

 

962.1

 

937.0

 

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - diluted

 

978.4

 

951.4

 

974.2

 

948.8

 

DepreciationDepreciation $451 $458 $924 $920 

 

$

454

 

$

515

 

$

1,378

 

$

1,435

 

 
 
 
 
 
Capital ExpendituresCapital Expenditures $364 $329 $650 $530 

 

$

400

 

$

321

 

$

1,050

 

$

851

 

 
 
 
 
 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

3




The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

Sept. 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

In millions (Unaudited)

 June 30,
2005

 Dec. 31,
2004

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

AssetsAssets     

 

 

 

 

 

Current AssetsCurrent Assets     

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents $3,162 $3,108 
Marketable securities and interest-bearing deposits 39 84 
Accounts and notes receivable:     
 Trade (net of allowance for doubtful receivables—2005: $167; 2004: $136) 4,758 4,753 
 Other 2,526 2,604 
Inventories 5,203 4,957 
Deferred income tax assets—current 385 384 
 
 
 
Total current assets 16,073 15,890 
 
 
 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

3,179

 

$

3,108

 

Marketable securities and interest-bearing deposits

 

31

 

84

 

Accounts and notes receivable:

 

 

 

 

 

Trade (net of allowance for doubtful receivables - 2005: $188; 2004: $136)

 

4,927

 

4,753

 

Other

 

2,870

 

2,604

 

Inventories

 

5,450

 

4,957

 

Deferred income tax assets - current

 

393

 

384

 

Total current assets

 

16,850

 

15,890

 

InvestmentsInvestments     

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in nonconsolidated affiliates 2,166 2,698 
Other investments 2,201 2,141 
Noncurrent receivables 169 189 
 
 
 
Total investments 4,536 5,028 
 
 
 

Investment in nonconsolidated affiliates

 

2,311

 

2,698

 

Other investments

 

2,185

 

2,141

 

Noncurrent receivables

 

141

 

189

 

Total investments

 

4,637

 

5,028

 

PropertyProperty     

 

 

 

 

 

Property 41,177 41,898 
Less accumulated depreciation 27,769 28,070 
 
 
 
Net property 13,408 13,828 
 
 
 

Property

 

41,415

 

41,898

 

Less accumulated depreciation

 

28,085

 

28,070

 

Net property

 

13,330

 

13,828

 

Other AssetsOther Assets     

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill 3,140 3,152 
Other intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization—2005: $533; 2004: $507) 493 535 
Deferred income tax assets—noncurrent 4,043 4,369 
Asbestos-related insurance receivables—noncurrent 901 1,028 
Deferred charges and other assets 2,293 2,055 
 
 
 
Total other assets 10,870 11,139 
 
 
 

Goodwill

 

3,140

 

3,152

 

Other intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization - 2005: $534; 2004: $507)

 

475

 

535

 

Deferred income tax assets - noncurrent

 

4,032

 

4,369

 

Asbestos-related insurance receivables - noncurrent

 

854

 

1,028

 

Deferred charges and other assets

 

2,419

 

2,055

 

Total other assets

 

10,920

 

11,139

 

Total AssetsTotal Assets $44,887 $45,885 

 

$

45,737

 

$

45,885

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity     

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

Current LiabilitiesCurrent Liabilities     

 

 

 

 

 

Notes payable $133 $104 
Long-term debt due within one year 1,235 861 
Accounts payable:     
 Trade 3,409 3,701 
 Other 1,551 2,194 
Income taxes payable 358 419 
Deferred income tax liabilities—current 390 205 
Dividends payable 346 342 
Accrued and other current liabilities 2,144 2,680 
 
 
 
Total current liabilities 9,566 10,506 
 
 
 

Notes payable

 

$

203

 

$

104

 

Long-term debt due within one year

 

719

 

861

 

Accounts payable:

 

 

 

 

 

Trade

 

3,478

 

3,701

 

Other

 

1,531

 

2,194

 

Income taxes payable

 

432

 

419

 

Deferred income tax liabilities - current

 

465

 

205

 

Dividends payable

 

327

 

342

 

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

2,573

 

2,680

 

Total current liabilities

 

9,728

 

10,506

 

Long-Term DebtLong-Term Debt 10,023 11,629 

 

9,969

 

11,629

 

 
 
 
Other Noncurrent LiabilitiesOther Noncurrent Liabilities     

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income tax liabilities—noncurrent 1,318 1,301 
Pension and other postretirement benefits—noncurrent 3,908 3,979 
Asbestos-related liabilities—noncurrent 1,452 1,549 
Other noncurrent obligations 3,243 3,202 
 
 
 
Total other noncurrent liabilities 9,921 10,031 
 
 
 

Deferred income tax liabilities - noncurrent

 

1,467

 

1,301

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits - noncurrent

 

3,898

 

3,979

 

Asbestos-related liabilities - noncurrent

 

1,426

 

1,549

 

Other noncurrent obligations

 

3,253

 

3,202

 

Total other noncurrent liabilities

 

10,044

 

10,031

 

Minority Interest in SubsidiariesMinority Interest in Subsidiaries 334 449 

 

333

 

449

 

 
 
 
Preferred Securities of SubsidiariesPreferred Securities of Subsidiaries 1,000 1,000 

 

1,000

 

1,000

 

 
 
 
Stockholders' Equity     
Common stock 2,453 2,453 
Additional paid-in capital 507 274 
Unearned ESOP shares (4) (12)
Retained earnings 13,479 11,527 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,757) (977)
Treasury stock at cost (635) (995)
 
 
 
Net stockholders' equity 14,043 12,270 
 
 
 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $44,887 $45,885 
 
 
 

Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

2,453

 

2,453

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

572

 

274

 

Unearned ESOP shares

 

(4

)

(12

)

Retained earnings

 

13,952

 

11,527

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(1,689

)

(977

)

Treasury stock at cost

 

(621

)

(995

)

Net stockholders’ equity

 

14,663

 

12,270

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

$

45,737

 

$

45,885

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

4




The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 


  
 Six Months Ended
 

 

 

 

Sept 30,

 

Sept 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

In millions (Unaudited)

 June 30,
2005

 June 30,
2004

 

 

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

Operating Activities Net Income Available for Common Stockholders $2,618 $1,154 

 

Net Income Available for Common Stockholders

 

$

3,419

 

$

1,771

 

 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
    activities:
      
     Depreciation and amortization  1,010 1,016 

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

     Provision for deferred income tax  292 219 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

1,507

 

1,575

 

     Earnings/losses of nonconsolidated affiliates in excess of dividends
        received
  (147) (236)

 

Provision for deferred income tax

 

440

 

208

 

     Minority interests' share in income  41 61 

 

Earnings/losses of nonconsolidated affiliates in excess of dividends received

 

(294

)

(442

)

     (Gain) loss on sales of investments, net  3 (13)

 

Minority interests’ share in income

 

60

 

90

 

     Gain on sales of property and businesses, net  (46) (11)

 

Gain on sales of ownership interest in consolidated companies, net

 

 

(1

)

     Other (gain) loss, net  (8) 62 

 

Gain on sales of investments, net

 

(15

)

(18

)

     Gain on sales of ownership interest in nonconsolidated affiliates  (101) (17)

 

Gain on sales of property and businesses, net

 

(54

)

(13

)

     Net gain on asset divestitures related to formation of
        nonconsolidated affiliates
   (563)

 

Other loss, net

 

37

 

65

 

     Restructuring charges   496 

 

Gain on sales of ownership interest in nonconsolidated affiliates, net

 

(98

)

(42

)

     Tax benefit—nonqualified stock option exercises  64 41 

 

Net gain on asset divestitures related to formation of nonconsolidated affiliates

 

 

(563

)

 Changes in assets and liabilities that provided (used) cash:      

 

Restructuring charges

 

 

421

 

     Accounts and notes receivable  137 (893)

 

Tax benefit - nonqualified stock option exercises

 

66

 

52

 

     Inventories  (369) (336)

 

Changes in assets and liabilities that provided (used) cash:

 

 

 

 

 

     Accounts payable  (711) 584 

 

Accounts and notes receivable

 

(29

)

(1,078

)

     Other assets and liabilities  (341) (845)

 

Inventories

 

(371

)

(676

)

   
 
 

 

Accounts payable

 

(604

)

1,012

 

 Cash provided by operating activities  2,442 719 

 

Other assets and liabilities

 

(530

)

(813

)

   
 
 

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

3,534

 

1,548

 

Investing Activities Capital expenditures  (650) (530)

 

Capital expenditures

 

(1,050

)

(851

)

 Proceeds from sales of property and businesses  55 27 

 

Proceeds from sales of property and businesses

 

82

 

37

 

 Acquisition of business   (149)

 

Acquisition of business

 

 

(149

)

 Investments in consolidated companies  (105)  

 

Investments in consolidated companies

 

(105

)

(6

)

 Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates  (208) (56)

 

Proceeds from sales of ownership interest in consolidated companies

 

 

7

 

 Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates  41 3 

 

Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates

 

(208

)

(81

)

 Proceeds from sales of nonconsolidated affiliates  87 33 

 

Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates

 

41

 

3

 

 Proceeds from asset divestitures related to formation of
    nonconsolidated affiliates
   845 

 

Proceeds from sales of ownership interest in nonconsolidated affiliates

 

89

 

70

 

 Purchases of investments  (475) (898)

 

Proceeds from asset divestitures related to formation of nonconsolidated affiliates

 

 

845

 

 Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments  400 806 

 

Purchases of investments

 

(725

)

(1,297

)

   
 
 

 

Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments

 

687

 

1,197

 

 Cash provided by (used in) investing activities  (855) 81 

 

Cash used in investing activities

 

(1,189

)

(225

)

   
 
 
Financing Activities Changes in short-term notes payable  20 (100)

 

Changes in short-term notes payable

 

81

 

(123

)

 Payments on long-term debt  (913) (1,075)

 

Payments on long-term debt

 

(1,422

)

(1,198

)

 Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt  4 618 

 

Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt

 

4

 

621

 

 Purchases of treasury stock  (33) (7)

 

Purchases of treasury stock

 

(48

)

(8

)

 Proceeds from sales of common stock  295 325 

 

Proceeds from sales of common stock

 

323

 

393

 

 Distributions to minority interests  (36) (32)

 

Distributions to minority interests

 

(66

)

(55

)

 Dividends paid to stockholders  (641) (623)

 

Dividends paid to stockholders

 

(964

)

(938

)

   
 
 

 

Cash used in financing activities

 

(2,092

)

(1,308

)

 Cash used in financing activities  (1,304) (894)
   
 
 
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on CashEffect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash  (229) (4)

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash

 

(182

)

(5

)

   
 
 
Summary Increase (Decrease) in cash and cash equivalents  54 (98)

 

Increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

71

 

10

 

 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year  3,108 2,392 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

 

3,108

 

2,392

 

   
 
 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

3,179

 

$

2,402

 

 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $3,162 $2,294 
   
 
 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

5




The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 



 Three Months Ended
 Six Months Ended
 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

In millions (Unaudited)

 June 30,
2005

 June 30,
2004

 June 30,
2005

 June 30,
2004

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

2005

 

2004

 

Net Income Available for Common StockholdersNet Income Available for Common Stockholders $1,265 $685 $2,618 $1,154 

 

$

801

 

$

617

 

$

3,419

 

$

1,771

 

 
 
 
 
 
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of TaxOther Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments 12 (34) (14) (24)
Translation adjustments (418) (81) (809) (223)
Minimum pension liability adjustments 4 (17) 11 (16)
Net gains (losses) on cash flow hedging derivative instruments (10) 35 32 28 
 
 
 
 
 
Total other comprehensive loss (412) (97) (780) (235)
 
 
 
 
 

Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

(1

)

11

 

(15

)

(13

)

Translation adjustments

 

(51

)

69

 

(860

)

(154

)

Minimum pension liability adjustments

 

 

 

11

 

(16

)

Net gains on cash flow hedging derivative instruments

 

120

 

104

 

152

 

132

 

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

 

68

 

184

 

(712

)

(51

)

Comprehensive IncomeComprehensive Income $853 $588 $1,838 $919 

 

$

869

 

$

801

 

$

2,707

 

$

1,720

 

 
 
 
 
 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

6




The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

PART I—I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION, Item 1. Financial Statements.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

NOTE A—A CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of The Dow Chemical Company and its subsidiaries ("Dow"(“Dow” or the "Company"“Company”) were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"(“GAAP”) and reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) which, in the opinion of management, are considered necessary for the fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. Certain reclassifications of prior year amounts have been made to conform to current year presentation. These statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. Certain reclassifications of prior year amounts have been made to conform to current year presentation.

NOTE B—B – ACCOUNTING CHANGES

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

 

In the first quarter of 2003, Dow began expensing stock options by adopting the fair value provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB"Board’s (“FASB”) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS"(“SFAS”) No. 123, "Accounting“Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation," for new grants of equity instruments (which include stock options, deferred stock grants, and subscriptions to purchase shares under the Company's Employees'Company’s Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan) to employees. As required by SFAS No. 148, "Accounting“Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—Compensation - Transition and Disclosure," the following table provides pro forma results as if the fair value based method had been applied to all outstanding and unvested awards, including stock options, deferred stock grants, and subscriptions to purchase shares under the Company's Employees'Company’s Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan, in each period presented:

 
 Three Months Ended
 Six Months Ended
 
In millions

 June 30, 2005
 June 30, 2004
 June 30, 2005
 June 30, 2004
 
Net income, as reported $1,265 $685 $2,618 $1,154 
Add: Stock-based compensation expense included in reported net income,
    net of tax
  49  29  174  52 
Deduct: Total stock-based compensation expense determined using fair value
    based method for all awards, net of tax
  (33) (34) (143) (61)
  
 
 
 
 
Pro forma net income $1,281 $680 $2,649 $1,145 
  
 
 
 
 
Earnings per share (in dollars):             
 Basic—as reported $1.31 $0.73 $2.73 $1.23 
 Basic—pro forma  1.33  0.72  2.76  1.22 
 Diluted—as reported  1.30  0.72  2.69  1.22 
 Diluted—pro forma  1.31  0.72  2.72  1.21 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

In millions

 

Sept. 30,
2005

 

Sept. 30,
2004

 

Sept. 30,
2005

 

Sept. 30,
2004

 

Net income, as reported

 

$

801

 

$

617

 

$

3,419

 

$

1,771

 

Add: Stock-based compensation expense included in reported net income, net of tax

 

44

 

35

 

218

 

87

 

Deduct: Total stock-based compensation expense determined using fair value based method for all awards, net of tax

 

(43

)

(40

)

(186

)

(101

)

Pro forma net income

 

$

802

 

$

612

 

$

3,451

 

$

1,757

 

Earnings per share (in dollars):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic – as reported

 

$

0.83

 

$

0.66

 

$

3.55

 

$

1.89

 

Basic – pro forma

 

0.83

 

0.65

 

3.59

 

1.87

 

Diluted – as reported

 

0.82

 

0.65

 

3.51

 

1.87

 

Diluted – pro forma

 

0.82

 

0.64

 

3.54

 

1.85

 

In December 2004, the FASB issued revised SFAS No. 123 ("(“SFAS No. 123R"123R”), "Share-Based“Share-Based Payment," which replaces SFAS No. 123 and supersedes Accounting Principles Board ("APB"(“APB”) Opinion No. 25, "Accounting“Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees." This statement, which requires that the cost of all share-based payment transactions be recognized in the financial statements, establishes fair value as the measurement objective and requires entities to apply a fair-value-based measurement method in accounting for share-based payment transactions. As issued, the statement applies to all awards granted, modified, repurchased or cancelled after July 1, 2005, and unvested portions of previously issued and outstanding awards. On April 14, 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"“SEC”) announced the adoption of a new rule that amends the compliance date for SFAS No. 123R, allowing companies to implement the statement at the beginning of their next fiscal year that begins after June 15, 2005, which is January 1, 2006 for the Company. Dow is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this statement.

 

In March 2005, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB"(“SAB”) No. 107, which expresses views of the SEC staff regarding the interaction between SFAS No. 123R and certain SEC rules and regulations, and provides the staff'sstaff’s views regarding the valuation of share-based payment arrangements for public companies. The Company will consider the guidance of this SAB as it adopts SFAS No. 123R.


 In May

7



The Company grants stock-based compensation awards which vest over a specified period or upon employees meeting certain performance and retirement eligibility criteria. The Company amortizes these awards over the specified vesting period and recognizes any unrecognized compensation cost at the date of retirement (the “nominal vesting period approach”). The Company will continue applying the nominal vesting period approach for the remaining portion of unvested outstanding awards as of December 31, 2005.  SFAS No. 123R specifies that an award is vested when the employee’s rights to the award are no longer contingent upon providing additional service (the “non-substantive vesting period approach”). Upon adoption of SFAS No. 123R on January 1, 2006, the Company will apply this approach to all stock-based compensation awarded after December 31, 2005. Compensation cost will be recognized over the vesting period or from the grant date to the date on which retirement eligibility provisions have been met and additional service is no longer required. The Company has determined that application of the non-substantive vesting period approach will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

During the third quarter of 2005, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position ("FSP") Emerging Issues Task Force ("EITF") Issuecontinued to issue new and proposed (not yet final) guidance related to SFAS No. 00-19-1, "Application123R. Since guidance related to this statement is not complete, Dow is continuing to evaluate the impact of EITF Issue No. 00-19 to Freestanding Financial Instruments Originally Issued as Employee Compensation." The FSP clarifies that, for freestanding financial instruments originally issued as employee compensation, a requirement to deliver registered shares, in and of itself, willadoption, but does not result in liability classification. The guidance in this FSP will be applied in accordance withexpect the effective date and transition provisionsadoption of SFAS No. 123R.123R to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Other Accounting Changes

 

In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, "Inventory Costs—“Inventory Costs – an amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4," which clarifies the accounting for abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and wasted material (spoilage) and also requires that the allocation of fixed production overhead be based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. SFAS No. 151 is effective for inventory costs incurred during fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. TheBecause the Company is currently evaluatinguses nameplate capacity to calculate product costs, Dow expects to record an immaterial favorable impact on the impactCompany’s consolidated financial statements in the period of adopting this statement.adoption.

 

In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 153, "Exchanges“Exchanges of Nonmonetary Assets—Assets – an amendment of APB Opinion No. 29." The statement addresses the measurement of exchanges of nonmonetary assets and eliminates the exception from fair value measurement for nonmonetary exchanges of similar productive assets and replaces it with an exception for exchanges that do not have commercial substance. SFAS No. 153 is effective for nonmonetary asset exchanges occurring in fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company has determined that its practices are consistent with the guidance of this statement; therefore, the adoption of SFAS No. 153 on July 1, 2005, will havehad no impact on the Company'sCompany’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2004, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 109-1, "Application“Application of FASB Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, to the Tax Deduction on Qualified Production Activities Provided by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004," indicating that this deduction should be accounted for as a special deduction in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 109.  Beginning in 2005, the Company recognizes the allowable deductions as qualifying activity occurs.

 

In December 2004, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 109-2, "Accounting“Accounting and Disclosure Guidance for the Foreign Earnings Repatriation Provision within the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004," which provides a practical exception to the SFAS No. 109 requirement to reflect the effect of a new tax law in the period of enactment by allowing additional time beyond the financial reporting period to evaluate the effects on plans for reinvestment or repatriation of unremitted foreign earnings. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the "Act"“Act”) introduced a special one-time dividends received deduction on the repatriation of certain foreign earnings to a U.S. taxpayer, provided certain criteria are met. In May 2005, tax authorities released the clarifying language necessary to enable the Company to finalize its plan for the repatriation and reinvestment of foreign earnings subject to the requirements of the Act, resulting in a credit of $113 million to "Provision“Provision for income taxes"taxes” in the second quarter of 2005.

In March 2005, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation ("FIN"(“FIN”) No. 47, "Accounting“Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations," which clarifies the termconditional asset retirement obligation as used in SFAS No. 143, "Accounting“Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations," as a legal obligation to perform an asset retirement activity in which the timing and/or method of settlement are conditional on a future event that may or may not be within the control of the Company. FIN No. 47 is effective no later than the end of fiscal years ending after December 15, 2005. The Company is currently evaluatingexpects the adoption of FIN No. 47 on December 31, 2005 to have an immaterial impact of adopting this interpretation.on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

8



In May 2005, the FASB issued SFAS No. 154, "Accounting“Accounting Changes and Error Corrections," which replaces APB Opinion No. 20, "Accounting“Accounting Changes," and SFAS No. 3, "Reporting“Reporting Accounting Changes in Interim Financial Statements," and provides guidance on the accounting for and reporting of accounting changes and error corrections. SFAS No. 154 applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle and requiresretrospective application (a term defined by the statement) to prior periods'periods’ financial statements, unless it is impracticable to determine the effect of a change. It also applies to changes required by an accounting pronouncement that does not include specific transition provisions. In addition, SFAS No. 154 redefinesrestatementrestatement as the revising of previously issued financial statements to reflect the correction of an error. The statement is effective for accounting changes and corrections of errors made in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2005. The Company will adopt SFAS No. 154 beginning January 1, 2006.


NOTE C—C – RESTRUCTURING

2004 Restructuring

 

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded a pretax net gain of $20 million related to restructuring activities. The net gain included gains totaling $563 million related to the divestitures of assets in conjunction with the formation of two new joint ventures (see Note D for information regarding the divestitures); asset impairments of $99 million related to the future sale or shutdown of facilities (see Note F for disclosures related to asset impairments); the recognition of a liability of $148 million associated with a loan guarantee for Cargill Dow LLC ("(“Cargill Dow"Dow”); and employee-related restructuring charges of $296 million. The net impact of the transactions is shown as "Restructuring“Restructuring net gain"gain” in the consolidated statements of income. Additional information regarding these activities is included below.

Recognition of Liability Related to Loan Guarantee

 

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company completed an assessment of Cargill Dow, a 50:50 joint venture with Cargill, Incorporated ("Cargill"(“Cargill”). Based on that assessment, the Company concluded that it was probable that its portion of a loan guarantee in place for Cargill Dow would be called, and recognized a liability of $148 million in the second quarter with a charge to Unallocated and Other.

 

In January 2005, the Company contributed $170 million to Cargill Dow and obtained a release from its commitments with respect to Cargill Dow'sDow’s debt obligations. On January 31, 2005, Dow transferred its 50 percent interest in Cargill Dow to Cargill.

Employee-Related Restructuring Charges

 

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded employee-related restructuring charges totaling $296 million. The charges resulted from decisions made by management in the second quarter relative to employment levels as the Company restructured its business organization and finalized plans for additional plant shutdowns and divestitures. The charges included severance of $225 million for a workforce reduction of 2,455 people, most of whom ended their employment with Dow by the end of the third quarter of 2004, and curtailment costs of $71 million associated with Dow'sDow’s defined benefit plans. The charges were included in the results of Unallocated and Other.

 As of June 30, 2005, severance of $211 million related to this restructuring had been paid to 2,439 former employees.

In the second quarter of 2005, the severance accrual was reduced by $9 million (reflected in "Cost“Cost of sales"sales”) due to the redeployment of approximately 65 employees, leaving an accrual of $5 million at June 30, 2005 for employees who will end their employment with Dow in the second half of 2005, and bringing the 2004 employee-related restructuring program to a close. As of September 30, 2005, severance of $212 million related to this restructuring had been paid to 2,446 former employees.

NOTE D—D – DIVESTITURES

 

On June 30, 2004, Dow and Petrochemical Industries Company ("PIC"(“PIC”) of Kuwait, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, formed two new joint ventures designed to further develop the commercial relationship of the two companies in the petrochemical industry. The joint ventures are:

    MEGlobal, a 50:50 joint venture for the manufacture and marketing of monoethylene glycol and diethylene glycol ("EG"(“EG”).

    Equipolymers, a 50:50 joint venture for the manufacture of purified terephthalic acid ("PTA"(“PTA”) and the manufacture and marketing of polyethylene terephthalate resins ("PET"(“PET”).

 

9



The joint ventures combine Dow'sDow’s strong existing asset base, technology position and market presence with PIC'sPIC’s commitment to increasing its investment in downstream petrochemical markets. The formation of the joint ventures is an important step in Dow'sDow’s strategy of pursuing cost advantaged feedstock positions to supply growing markets, and in reducing Dow'sDow’s capital intensity. MEGlobal and Equipolymers strengthen the integration of these ethylene derivative businesses by strategically shifting future growth to cost-advantaged locations.

 

To form MEGlobal, Dow sold a 50 percent interest in its Canadian EG manufacturing assets (included in the Chemicals segment) to PIC for $635 million. Dow and PIC each contributed their respective interests in the Canadian EG manufacturing assets to form the joint venture. The carrying amount of the assets sold included: manufacturing facilities of $24 million, an investment in a nonconsolidated affiliate of $12 million and inventories of $11 million. MEGlobal will produceproduces EG using ethylene purchased from Dow pursuant to a market-based agreement. Proceeds from the sale included a pre-payment of the ethylene supply agreement of $121 million, which will be recognized over the life of the contract based on units of production. MEGlobal will also marketmarkets excess EG produced in Dow'sDow’s plants in the United States and Europe, and may also market EG produced by Dow and PIC affiliates. EG is used as a raw material in the manufacture of polyester fibers, PET, antifreeze formulations and other industrial products.


 

To form Equipolymers, Dow sold a 50 percent interest in its PET/PTA business (included in the Plastics segment), which includes manufacturing assets in Germany and Italy, to PIC for $210 million. Dow and PIC each contributed their respective interests in the PET/PTA business to form the joint venture. The carrying amount of the assets sold included: manufacturing facilities of $39 million, receivables of $24 million, goodwill of $22 million, inventories of $21 million, payables of $16 million and other liabilities of $4 million. PTA is a key raw material for the production of PET. PET is a high quality plastic used in the packaging industry, particularly for the production of beverage, food and other liquid containers.

 

The Company recorded a gain on the sale of the Canadian EG assets of $439 million (included in the Chemicals segment) and a gain on the sale of the PET/PTA business of $124 million (included in the Plastics segment) in the second quarter of 2004.

 

On July 1, 2004, Dow began accounting for the joint ventures using the equity method of accounting. Dow'sDow’s share of the earnings/losses of MEGlobal are reflected in the results for the Chemicals segment; Dow'sDow’s share of the earnings/losses of Equipolymers are reflected in the results for the Plastics segment.

NOTE E—E – INVENTORIES

 

The following table provides a breakdown of inventories at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004:

Inventories
In millions

 June 30,
2005

 Dec. 31,
2004

Finished goods $2,964 $2,989
Work in process  1,203  889
Raw materials  562  605
Supplies  474  474
  
 
Total inventories $5,203 $4,957
  
 

 

Inventories
In millions

 

Sept. 30,
2005

 

Dec. 31,
2004

 

Finished goods

 

$

2,969

 

$

2,989

 

Work in process

 

1,176

 

889

 

Raw materials

 

825

 

605

 

Supplies

 

480

 

474

 

Total inventories

 

$

5,450

 

$

4,957

 

The reserves reducing inventories from the first-in, first-out ("FIFO"(“FIFO”) basis to the last-in, first-out ("LIFO"(“LIFO”) basis amounted to $903$1,242 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and $807 million at December 31, 2004.

NOTE F—F – IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

 

In the first quarter of 2004, Dow continued to evaluate non-strategic and under-performing assets, and management made decisions regarding the disposition of certain of the Company'sCompany’s assets. These decisions resulted in charges totaling $39 million. The two largest items were related to a manufacturing facility for the production of polyols and propylene glycol in Priolo, Italy, and a manufacturing facility for the production of HAMPOSYL™HAMPOSYLTM surfactants in Nashua, New Hampshire.

    On April 1, 2004, the Company announced the permanent closure of the Priolo plant; therefore, in the first quarter of 2004, the net book value of $22 million was written down with a charge to "Cost“Cost of sales"sales” in the Performance Plastics segment.

    10




In the first quarter of 2004, the Company made the decision to discontinue production of HAMPOSYL™HAMPOSYLTM surfactants (manufactured by Hampshire Chemical Corp. ["[“Hampshire Chemical"Chemical”], a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company) and, as a result, wrote down the net book value of the assets of $9 million against "Cost“Cost of sales"sales” in the Performance Chemicals segment. The manufacturing facility for this line of business was shut down in the third quarter of 2004; demolition is underway and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005. See Note G regarding a related write-off of goodwill.

 

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded asset impairments totaling $99 million, included in "Restructuring“Restructuring net gain"gain” in the consolidated statements of income, related to the future sale or shutdown of facilities as follows (see Note C):

    In the fourth quarter of 2003, Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Services ("BCMS"(“BCMS”), located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, lost its contract manufacturing relationship with its largest customer. After a review of the business and site was completed in the second quarter of 2004, the Company decided to seek bids to sell BCMS. Based on indications of interest from potential buyers, the assets were written down to their fair value in the second quarter, with a $60 million charge against the Performance Chemicals segment. In the third quarter of 2004, the business ceased production at the facility.

      In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded asset impairments totaling $39 million for the second quarter shutdown of a latex manufacturing facility ($8 million), the pending sale of a marine terminal ($10 million) and the results of a cash flow analysis of a Specialty Polymers business ($21 million). The impairments resulted in charges against the Performance Chemicals segment of $29 million and Unallocated and Other of $10 million. The sale of the marine terminal was completed in the third quarter of 2004. The Company expects to sell the line of business in Specialty Polymers in the thirdfourth quarter of 2005. See Note G regarding a goodwill write-off associated with the Specialty Polymers line of business.

    NOTE G—G – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

     

    The following table shows changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the sixnine months ended JuneSeptember 30, 2005, by operating segment:

    Goodwill
    In millions

     Performance
    Plastics

     Performance
    Chemicals

     Agricultural
    Sciences

     Plastics
     Hydrocarbons
    and Energy

     Total
     
    Goodwill at December 31, 2004 $913 $750 $1,320 $106 $63 $3,152 
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Negative goodwill related to acquisition of
        remaining 28% interest in
        PBBPolisur S.A.
            (12)   (12)
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Goodwill at June 30, 2005 $913 $750 $1,320 $94 $63 $3,140 
      
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

    Goodwill
    In millions

     

    Performance
    Plastics

     

    Performance
    Chemicals

     

    Agricultural
    Sciences

     

    Plastics

     

    Hydrocarbons
    and Energy

     

    Total

     

    Goodwill at December 31, 2004

     

    $

    913

     

    $

    750

     

    $

    1,320

     

    $

    106

     

    $

    63

     

    $

    3,152

     

    Negative goodwill related to acquisition of remaining 28% interest in PBBPolisur S.A.

     

     

     

     

    (12

    )

     

    (12

    )

    Goodwill at September 30, 2005

     

    $

    913

     

    $

    750

     

    $

    1,320

     

    $

    94

     

    $

    63

     

    $

    3,140

     

    In the first quarter of 2004, the Company made the decision to discontinue production of HAMPOSYL™HAMPOSYLTM surfactants manufactured by Hampshire Chemical, following a period of time during which the Specialty Chemicals business had experienced a significant decline in sales of these surfactants. The Company'sCompany’s efforts to reach an acceptable agreement to sell this line of business were unsuccessful. As a result of the decision to discontinue production, the Company wrote off goodwill of $13 million (included in "Amortization“Amortization of intangibles"intangibles”) associated with this line of business in the Performance Chemicals segment. See Note F regarding a related write-down of assets. The manufacturing facility was shut down in the third quarter of 2004; demolition is underway and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005.

     

    In the second quarter of 2004, the Company wrote off goodwill of $18 million (included in "Restructuring“Restructuring net gain"gain”) associated with the Specialty Polymers business (Performance Chemicals segment), following the completion of an impairment calculation related to a continued decline in the sales of a line of products manufactured by Hampshire Chemical. See Notes C and F for additional information.

     

    11



    The following table provides information regarding the Company'sCompany’s other intangible assets:

    Other Intangible Assets
     At June 30, 2005
     At December 31, 2004
    In millions

     Gross
    Carrying
    Amount

     Accumulated
    Amortization

     Net
     Gross
    Carrying
    Amount

     Accumulated
    Amortization

     Net
    Intangible assets with finite lives:                  
     Licenses and intellectual property $281 $(143)$138 $289 $(138)$151
     Patents  153  (100) 53  154  (95) 59
     Software  350  (203) 147  352  (193) 159
     Trademarks  138  (34) 104  139  (31) 108
     Other  104  (53) 51  108  (50) 58
      
     
     
     
     
     
     Total $1,026 $(533)$493 $1,042 $(507)$535
      
     
     
     
     
     

     

    Other Intangible Assets

     

    At September 30, 2005

     

    At December 31, 2004

     

     

    In millions

     

    Gross
    Carrying
    Amount

     

    Accumulated
    Amortization

     

    Net

     

    Gross
    Carrying
    Amount

     

    Accumulated
    Amortization

     

    Net

     

     

    Intangible assets with finite lives:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Licenses and intellectual property

     

    $

    265

     

    $

    (132

    )

    $

    133

     

    $

    289

     

    $

    (138

    )

    $

    151

     

    Patents

     

    150

     

    (101

    )

    49

     

    154

     

    (95

    )

    59

     

     

    Software

     

    356

     

    (213

    )

    143

     

    352

     

    (193

    )

    159

     

     

    Trademarks

     

    136

     

    (35

    )

    101

     

    139

     

    (31

    )

    108

     

     

    Other

     

    102

     

    (53

    )

    49

     

    108

     

    (50

    )

    58

     

     

    Total

     

    $

    1,009

     

    $

    (534

    )

    $

    475

     

    $

    1,042

     

    $

    (507

    )

    $

    535

     

    Amortization expense for other intangible assets (not including software) was $13 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, compared with $16$19 million in the same period last year. Year to date, amortization expense for other intangible assets (not including software) was $27$40 million, compared with $32$51 million for the first sixnine months of 2004. Amortization expense for software, which is included in "Cost“Cost of sales," totaled $11$10 million in both the secondthird quarter of 2005 and $9 million in the second quarter of 2004. Year to date, amortization expense for software was $22$32 million, compared with $17$27 million for the first sixnine months of 2004. Total estimated amortization expense for 2005 and the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows:


    In millions

     Estimated
    Amortization
    Expense

    2005 $96
    2006  89
    2007  79
    2008  75
    2009  30
    2010  22
      

    In millions

     

    Estimated
    Amortization
    Expense

     

    2005

     

    $

    96

     

    2006

     

    89

     

    2007

     

    80

     

    2008

     

    75

     

    2009

     

    36

     

    2010

     

    22

     

    NOTE H—H – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

    Litigation

    Breast Implant Matters

     

    On May 15, 1995, Dow Corning Corporation ("(“Dow Corning"Corning”), in which the Company is a 50 percent shareholder, voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code to resolve litigation related to Dow Corning'sCorning’s breast implant and other silicone medical products. On June 1, 2004, Dow Corning'sCorning’s Joint Plan of Reorganization (the "Joint Plan"“Joint Plan”) became effective and Dow Corning emerged from bankruptcy. The Joint Plan contains release and injunction provisions resolving all tort claims brought against various entities, including the Company, involving Dow Corning'sCorning’s breast implant and other silicone medical products.

     

    To the extent not previously resolved in state court actions, cases involving Dow Corning'sCorning’s breast implant and other silicone medical products filed against the Company are currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (the “District Court”) as a result of being transferred to that court for resolution in the context of the Joint Plan. Should cases involving Dow Corning'sCorning’s breast implant and other silicone medical products be filed against the Company in the future, they will be accorded similar treatment. On October 6, 2005, all such cases then pending in the District Court against the Company were dismissed. It is the opinion of the Company'sCompany’s management that the possibility is remote that a resolution of all such cases will have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s consolidated financial statements.

     

    As part of the Joint Plan, Dow and Corning Incorporated have agreed to provide a credit facility to Dow Corning in an aggregate amount of $300 million. The Company'sCompany’s share of the credit facility is $150 million and is subject to the terms and conditions stated in the Joint Plan. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, no draws had been taken against the credit facility.

    12



    DBCP Matters

     

    Numerous lawsuits have been brought against the Company and other chemical companies, both inside and outside of the United States, alleging that the manufacture, distribution or use of pesticides containing dibromochloropropane ("DBCP"(“DBCP”) has caused personal injury and property damage, including contamination of groundwater. It is the opinion of the Company'sCompany’s management that the possibility is remote that the resolution of such lawsuits will have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s consolidated financial statements.

    Environmental MattersMatters

     

    Accruals for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. The Company had accrued obligations of $380 million at December 31, 2004, for environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $45 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, the Company had accrued obligations of $373$361 million for environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $44$43 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. This is management'smanagement’s best estimate of the costs for remediation and restoration with respect to environmental matters for which the Company has accrued liabilities, although the ultimate cost with respect to these particular matters could range up to twice that amount. Inherent uncertainties exist in these estimates primarily due to unknown conditions, changing governmental regulations and legal standards regarding liability, and evolving technologies for handling site remediation and restoration.


    On June 12, 2003, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ("MDEQ"(“MDEQ”) issued a Hazardous Waste Operating License (the "License"“License”) to the Company'sCompany’s Midland, Michigan manufacturing site (the "Midland site"“Midland site”), which included provisions requiring the Company to conduct an investigation to determine the nature and extent of off-site contamination in Midland area soils; Tittabawassee and Saginaw River sediment and floodplain soils; and Saginaw Bay. The License required the Company, by August 11, 2003, to propose a detailed Scope of Work for the off-site investigation for review and approval by the MDEQ. Scope of Work documents were submitted to the MDEQ and were the subject of public comment. On December 12, 2003, the MDEQ provided its formal response to the Company'sCompany’s August 11, 2003 Scope of Work documents in the form of a Notice of Deficiency (the "Notice"“Notice”) that required the Company to respond to the Notice by February 17, 2004. The Company submitted revised Scope of Work documents on February 17, 2004. Continuing discussions between the Company and the MDEQ regarding how to proceed with off-site corrective action under the License resulted in the execution of the Framework for an Agreement Between the State of Michigan and The Dow Chemical Company (the "Framework"“Framework”) on January 20, 2005. The Framework commits the Company to take certain immediate interim remedial actions in the City of Midland and along the Tittabawassee River, conduct certain studies, and propose a remedial investigation work plan by the end of 2005. The interim remedial actions required by the Framework are currently underway. The Framework also contemplates that the Company, the State of Michigan and other federal and tribal governmental entities will negotiate the terms of an agreement or agreements to resolve potential governmental claims against the Company related to historical off-site contamination associated with the Midland site. At the end of 2004, the Company had an accrual for off-site corrective action of $12 million (included in the total accrued obligation of $380 million at December 31, 2004) based on the range of activities that the Company proposed and discussed implementing with the MDEQ and which is set forth in the Framework. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, the accrual for off-site corrective action was $12$9 million (included in the total accrued obligation of $373$361 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2005).

     

    It is the opinion of the Company'sCompany’s management that the possibility is remote that costs in excess of those disclosed will have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s consolidated financial statements.

    Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation

     

    The following disclosure should be read in conjunction with the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

     

    Union Carbide Corporation ("(“Union Carbide"Carbide”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past three decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that Union Carbide sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s premises, and Union Carbide'sCarbide’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former Union Carbide subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. ("Amchem"(“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to Union Carbide'sCarbide’s products.

     

    13



    Influenced by the bankruptcy filings of numerous defendants in asbestos-related litigation and the prospects of various forms of state and national legislative reform, the rate at which plaintiffs filed asbestos-related suits against various companies, including Union Carbide and Amchem, increased in 2001, 2002 and the first half of 2003. Since then, the rate of filing has significantly abated. Union Carbide expects more asbestos-related suits to be filed against Union Carbide and Amchem in the future, and will aggressively defend or reasonably resolve, as appropriate, both pending and future claims.

     

    Based on a study completed by Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation ("ARPC"(“ARPC”) in January 2003, Union Carbide increased its December 31, 2002 asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims for the 15-year period ending in 2017 to $2.2 billion, excluding future defense and processing costs. At each balance sheet date, Union Carbide compares current asbestos claim and resolution activity to the assumptions in the ARPC study to determine whether the accrual continues to be appropriate.

     

    In November 2004, Union Carbide requested ARPC to review Union Carbide'sCarbide’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its January 2003 study. In response to this request, ARPC reviewed and analyzed data through November 14, 2004, and again concluded that it was not possible to estimate the full range of the cost of resolving future asbestos-related claims against Union Carbide and Amchem because of various uncertainties associated with the litigation of those claims. ARPC did advise Union Carbide, however, that it was reasonable and feasible to construct a new estimate of the cost to Union Carbide of resolving current and future asbestos-related claims using the same two widely used forecasting methodologies used by ARPC in its January 2003 study, if certain assumptions were made. As a result, the following assumptions were made and then used by ARPC:

      The number of future claims to be filed annually against Union Carbide and Amchem is unlikely to exceed the level of claims experienced during 2004.

        The number of claims filed against Union Carbide and Amchem annually from 2001 to 2003 is considered anomalous for the purpose of estimating future filings.

        The number of future claims to be filed against Union Carbide and Amchem will decline at a fairly constant rate each year from 2005.

        The average resolution value for pending and future claims will be equivalent to those experienced during 2003 and 2004 (excluding settlements from closed claims filed in Madison County, Illinois with respect to future claims, as changes in the judicial environment in Madison County caused the historical experience of claims in that jurisdiction to not be predictive of results for future claims).

       

      The resulting study completed by ARPC in January 2005 stated that the undiscounted cost to Union Carbide of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims against Union Carbide and Amchem, excluding future defense and processing costs, through 2017 was estimated to be between approximately $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion, depending on which of two accepted methodologies was used. At December 31, 2004, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s recorded asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.6 billion. Based on the low end of the range in the January 2005 study, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s recorded asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims at December 31, 2004 would be sufficient to resolve asbestos-related claims against Union Carbide and Amchem into 2019. As in its January 2003 study, ARPC did provide estimates for a longer period of time in its January 2005 study, but also reaffirmed its prior advice that forecasts for shorter periods of time are more accurate than those for longer periods of time. Based on ARPC'sARPC’s studies, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s recent asbestos litigation experience, and the uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation and legislative reform efforts, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management determined that no change to the accrual was required at December 31, 2004.

       

      Based on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s review of 2005 activity, Union Carbide determined that no change to the accrual was required at JuneSeptember 30, 2005.

       

      Union Carbide'sCarbide’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.5 billion at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and $1.6 billion at December 31, 2004. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, approximately 3936 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 6164 percent related to future claims. At December 31, 2004, approximately 37 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 63 percent related to future claims.

       

      At December 31, 2002, Union Carbide increased the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability to $1.35 billion, substantially exhausting its asbestos product liability coverage. The insurance receivable related to the asbestos liability was determined by Union Carbide after a thorough review of applicable insurance policies and the 1985 Wellington Agreement, to which Union Carbide and many of its liability insurers are signatory parties, as well as other insurance settlements, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, and taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers. The Wellington Agreement and other agreements with insurers are designed to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise.

       

      14



      Union Carbide'sCarbide’s receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability was $590$550 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and $712 million at December 31, 2004. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, $453$443 million ($543 million at December 31, 2004) of the receivable for insurance recoveries was related to insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage.

       

      In addition, Union Carbide had receivables for defense and resolution costs submitted to insurance carriers for reimbursement as follows:

      Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       Dec. 31,
      2004

      Receivables for defense costs $91 $85
      Receivables for resolution costs  368  406
        
       
      Total $459 $491
        
       

       

      Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Dec. 31,
      2004

       

      Receivables for defense costs

       

      $

      86

       

      $

      85

       

      Receivables for resolution costs

       

      333

       

      406

       

      Total

       

      $

      419

       

      $

      491

       

      Union Carbide expenses defense costs as incurred. The pretax impact for defense and resolution costs, net of insurance, was $14$24 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005 ($4819 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004) and $32$56 million in the first sixnine months of 2005 ($7392 million in the first sixnine months of 2004), and was reflected in "Cost“Cost of sales."


      In September 2003, Union Carbide filed a comprehensive insurance coverage case in the Circuit Court for Kanawha County in Charleston, West Virginia, seeking to confirm its rights to insurance for various asbestos claims (the "West“West Virginia action"action”) and to facilitate an orderly and timely collection of insurance proceeds. Although Union Carbide already has settlements in place concerning coverage for asbestos claims with many of its insurers, including those covered by the 1985 Wellington Agreement, this lawsuit was filed against insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place with Union Carbide regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage, in order to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of such insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise. In early 2004, several of the defendant insurers in the West Virginia action filed a competing action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. As a result of motion practice, the West Virginia action was dismissed in August 2004 on the basis offorum non conveniens (i.e.(i.e., West Virginia is an inconvenient location for the parties). The comprehensive insurance coverage litigation is now proceeding in the New York courts (the "New“New York action"action”). Through the secondthird quarter of 2005, Union Carbide reached settlements with several of the carriers involved in the New York action. After a further review of its insurance policies, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, after taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers; existing insurance settlements; and the advice of outside counsel with respect to the applicable insurance coverage law relating to the terms and conditions of its insurance policies, Union Carbide continues to believe that its recorded receivable for insurance recoveries from all insurance carriers is probable of collection.

       

      The amounts recorded by Union Carbide for the asbestos-related liability and related insurance receivable described above were based upon current, known facts. However, projecting future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of disposing of each such claim, coverage issues among insurers, and the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States, could cause the actual costs and insurance recoveries for Union Carbide to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded.

       

      Because of the uncertainties described above, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing Union Carbide and Amchem. Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management believes that it is reasonably possible that the cost of disposing of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of Union Carbide.

       

      It is the opinion of Dow'sDow’s management that it is reasonably possible that the cost of Union Carbide disposing of its asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of the Company.

      15



      Synthetic Rubber Industry Matters

       

      In 2003, the U.S., Canadian and European competition authorities initiated separate investigations into alleged anticompetitive behavior by certain participants in the synthetic rubber industry. DuPont Dow Elastomers L.L.C. ("DDE"(“DDE”), a 50:50 joint venture with E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company ("DuPont"(“DuPont”), and certain subsidiaries of the Company (but as to the investigation in Europe only) have responded, or are in the process of responding, to requests for documents and are otherwise cooperating in the investigations. Separately, related civil actions have been filed in various U.S. federal and state courts. Certain of these actions have named the Company.

       

      On April 8, 2004, DuPont issued a press release stating that DuPont and the Company had entered into a series of agreements that, among other things: enabled DuPont to direct DDE'sDDE’s response to these investigations and related litigation; resulted in DuPont funding 100 percent of any potential DDE liabilities and costs up to $150 million, with DuPont also funding more than 75 percent of the excess, if any; and granted the Company the option to acquire certain DDE assets in a cashless transaction which, if exercised, would obligate DuPont to acquire the Company'sCompany’s remaining equity interest in DDE. DuPont concurrently announced on April 8, 2004, that it was taking a charge of $150 million related to anticipated expenses. On January 19, 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that DDE had agreed to plead guilty to one count of price fixing in the polychloroprene industry and accept a fine of $84 million. Also on January 19, 2005, DuPont announced that it was taking an additional charge of $118 million.million related to DDE. On March 31, 2005, the U.S. Federal District Court (N.D. California) accepted the proposed plea arrangement. Based on the Company'sCompany’s agreement with DuPont, the Company expects that its responsibility with respect to these DDE liabilities will not be material.


       

      Additionally, on January 3, 2005, the Company and DuPont announced that the Company had exercised its option to acquire certain assets relating to ethylene elastomers and chlorinated elastomers from DDE, including ENGAGE™ENGAGETM, NORDEL™NORDELTM and TYRIN™TYRINTM elastomers, through an equity redemption transaction involving the Company'sCompany’s equity interest in DDE. As a result of this option exercise, DuPont purchased the Company'sCompany’s remaining equity interest in DDE for $87 million; the dissolution of the joint venture was completed on June 30, 2005. As a result of this transaction, the Company decreased its investment in nonconsolidated affiliates and recorded $324 million in net property, $122 million in inventories, and $48 million in other net assets.

       

      On June 10, 2005, the Company received a Statement of Objections from the European Commission stating that it believed that the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company, together with other participants in the synthetic rubber industry, engaged in conduct in violation of European competition laws. It is expected that the European Commission will seek to impose a fine on the Company, the amount of which will be calculated taking into account the gravity of the violation, the role played by the participants, the duration of their participation and their importance in the synthetic rubber industry.

      Other Litigation Matters

       

      In addition to the breast implant, DBCP, environmental and synthetic rubber industry matters, the Company is party to a number of other claims and lawsuits arising out of the normal course of business with respect to commercial matters, including product liability, governmental regulation and other actions. Certain of these actions purport to be class actions and seek damages in very large amounts. All such claims are being contested. Dow has an active risk management program consisting of numerous insurance policies secured from many carriers at various times. These policies provide coverage that will be utilized to minimize the impact, if any, of the contingencies described above.

      Summary

       

      Except for the possible effect of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s asbestos-related liability described above, it is the opinion of the Company'sCompany’s management that the possibility is remote that the aggregate of all claims and lawsuits will have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s consolidated financial statements.

      Purchase Commitments

       

      At December 31, 2004, the Company had several agreements for the purchase of ethylene-related products globally. The purchase prices are determined on a cost-of-service basis, which, in addition to covering all operating expenses and debt service costs, provides the owner of the manufacturing plants with a specified return on capital. Total purchases under the agreements were $622 million in 2004. Another agreement for the purchase of ethylene-related products in North America became effective on January 1, 2005. The Company'sCompany’s commitments associated with all of these agreements are included in the table below.

       

      16



      At December 31, 2004, the Company had various outstanding commitments for take or pay and throughput agreements, including the purchase agreements referred to above, with terms extending from one to 40 years. Such commitments were at prices not in excess of current market prices. The fixed and determinable portion of obligations under these purchase commitments at December 31, 2004 is presented in the following table:

      Fixed and Determinable Portion of Take or Pay and Throughput Obligations at December 31, 2004
      In millions

        
      2005 $2,120
      2006  1,966
      2007  1,695
      2008  1,482
      2009  1,288
      2010 through expiration of contracts  5,781
        
      Total $14,332
        

       

      Fixed and Determinable Portion of Take or Pay and
      Throughput Obligations at December 31, 2004
      In millions

       

       

       

      2005

       

      $

      2,120

       

      2006

       

      1,966

       

      2007

       

      1,695

       

      2008

       

      1,482

       

      2009

       

      1,288

       

      2010 through expiration of contracts

       

      5,781

       

      Total

       

      $

      14,332

       

      In addition to the take or pay obligations at December 31, 2004, the Company had outstanding commitments which ranged from one to 20 years for steam, electrical power, materials, property and other items used in the normal course of business of approximately $445 million. Such commitments were at prices not in excess of current market prices.


      Guarantees

       

      The Company provides a variety of guarantees, as described more fully in the following sections.

      Guarantees

       

      Guarantees arise during the ordinary course of business from relationships with customers and nonconsolidated affiliates when the Company undertakes an obligation to guarantee the performance of others (via delivery of cash or other assets) if specified triggering events occur. With guarantees, such as commercial or financial contracts, non-performance by the guaranteed party triggers the obligation of the Company to make payments to the beneficiary of the guarantee. The majority of the Company'sCompany’s guarantees relate to debt of nonconsolidated affiliates, which have expiration dates ranging from less than one year to 14 years, and trade financing transactions in Latin America, which typically expire within one year of inception.

      Residual Value Guarantees

       

      The Company provides guarantees related to leased assets specifying the residual value that will be available to the lessor at lease termination through sale of the assets to the lessee or third parties.

       

      The following table provides a summary of the final expiration, maximum future payments and recorded liability reflected in the consolidated balance sheets for each type of guarantee:

      Guarantees at June 30, 2005
      In millions

       Final
      Expiration

       Maximum Future
      Payments

       Recorded
      Liability

      Guarantees 2014 $333 $55
      Residual value guarantees 2015  1,336  6
          
       
      Total guarantees   $1,669 $61
          
       
      Guarantees at December 31, 2004
      In millions

       Final
      Expiration

       Maximum Future
      Payments

       Recorded
      Liability

      Guarantees 2018 $729 $202
      Residual value guarantees 2015  1,342  4
          
       
      Total guarantees   $2,071 $206
          
       

       

      Guarantees at September 30, 2005

      In millions

       

      Final
      Expiration

       

      Maximum Future
      Payments

       

      Recorded
      Liability

       

      Guarantees

       

      2014

       

      $

      338

       

      $

      42

       

      Residual value guarantees

       

      2015

       

      1,339

       

      6

       

      Total guarantees

       

       

       

      $

      1,677

       

      $

      48

       

      Guarantees at December 31, 2004

      In millions

       

      Final
      Expiration

       

      Maximum Future
      Payments

       

      Recorded
      Liability

       

      Guarantees

       

      2018

       

      $

      729

       

      $

      202

       

      Residual value guarantees

       

      2015

       

      1,342

       

      4

       

      Total guarantees

       

       

       

      $

      2,071

       

      $

      206

       

      In January 2005, the Company contributed $170 million to Cargill Dow, a 50:50 joint venture, and obtained a release from its commitments with respect to Cargill Dow'sDow’s debt obligations. On January 31, 2005, Dow transferred its 50 percent interest in Cargill Dow to Cargill. See Note C for additional information.

      17



      NOTE I—I – PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

      Net Periodic Benefit Cost for All Significant Plans



       Three Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
       

       

      Three Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions

      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Defined Benefit Pension Plans:Defined Benefit Pension Plans:         

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Service cost $72 $66 $144 $132 
      Interest cost 204 199 409 399 
      Expected return on plan assets (265) (268) (531) (537)
      Amortization of prior service cost 6 5 12 11 
      Amortization of net loss 28 6 57 13 
      Special termination/curtailment cost  40  40 
       
       
       
       
       
      Net periodic benefit cost $45 $48 $91 $58 

      Service cost

       

      $

      71

       

      $

      64

       

      $

      215

       

      $

      196

       

      Interest cost

       

      202

       

      201

       

      611

       

      600

       

      Expected return on plan assets

       

      (263

      )

      (271

      )

      (794

      )

      (808

      )

      Amortization of prior service cost

       

      6

       

      5

       

      18

       

      16

       

      Amortization of net loss

       

      28

       

      7

       

      85

       

      20

       

      Special termination/curtailment cost (1)

       

       

       

       

      40

       

      Net periodic benefit cost

       

      $

      44

       

      $

      6

       

      $

      135

       

      $

      64

       

       
       
       
       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Other Postretirement Benefits:Other Postretirement Benefits:         

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Service cost $6 $6 $12 $12 
      Interest cost 31 33 62 66 
      Expected return on plan assets (7) (6) (14) (12)
      Amortization of prior service credit (2) (3) (4) (6)
      Amortization of net loss 3 2 6 4 
      Special termination/curtailment cost  31  31 
       
       
       
       
       
      Net periodic benefit cost $31 $63 $62 $95 
       
       
       
       
       

      Service cost

       

      $

      6

       

      $

      6

       

      $

      18

       

      $

      18

       

      Interest cost

       

      31

       

      31

       

      93

       

      97

       

      Expected return on plan assets

       

      (7

      )

      (6

      )

      (21

      )

      (18

      )

      Amortization of prior service credit

       

      (2

      )

      (2

      )

      (6

      )

      (8

      )

      Amortization of net loss

       

      3

       

      2

       

      9

       

      6

       

      Special termination/curtailment cost (1)

       

       

       

       

      31

       

      Net periodic benefit cost

       

      $

      31

       

      $

      31

       

      $

      93

       

      $

      126

       


      (1) See Note C for information regarding curtailment costs recorded in the second quarter of 2004.

      Employer Contributions

      Pension Plans

       

      The Company has defined benefit pension plans that cover employees in the United States and a number of other countries. The U.S. funded plan covering the parent company is the largest plan. Benefits are based on length of service and the employee'semployee’s three highest consecutive years of compensation.

       

      The Company'sCompany’s funding policy is to contribute to those plans when pension laws and economics either require or encourage funding. In the second quarter of 2005, Dow revised its estimate regarding the amount that the Company expects to contribute $700 million to its pension plans in 2005. Dow now expects to contribute $700 million in 2005. Contributions of $436$634 million were made in the first sixnine months of 2005.

      Other Postretirement Benefits

       

      The Company provides certain health care and life insurance benefits to retired employees. The Company has one non-U.S. plan, which is insignificant; therefore, this discussion relates to the U.S. plans only. The plans provide health care benefits, including hospital, physicians'physicians’ services, drug and major medical expense coverage, and life insurance benefits. For employees hired before January 1, 1993, the plans provide benefits supplemental to Medicare when retirees are eligible for these benefits. The Company and the retiree share the cost of these benefits, with the Company portion increasing as the retiree has increased years of credited service. There is a cap on the Company portion. The Company has the ability to change these benefits at any time.

       

      The Company funds most of the cost of these health care and life insurance benefits as incurred. As disclosed in the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, Dow does not expect to contribute assets to its other postretirement benefits plan trusts in 2005. Consistent with that expectation, no contributions were made in the first halfnine months of 2005. Benefit payments to retirees under these plans are expected to be $205 million in 2005. Payments of $77$106 million were made in the first sixnine months of 2005.

      18



      NOTE J—J – EARNINGS PER SHARE CALCULATIONS

      Earnings Per Share Calculations


       Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2005

       Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2004

      In millions, except per share amounts

       

      Three Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2005

       

      Nine Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2005

       

      In millions, except per share amounts

      Basic
       Diluted
       Basic
       Diluted

       

      Basic

       

      Diluted

       

      Basic

       

      Diluted

       

       $1,265 $1,265 $685 $685

       

      $

      801

       

      $

      801

       

      $

      3,419

       

      $

      3,419

       

       
       
       
       
      Weighted-average common shares outstanding 964.1 964.1 938.0 938.0

       

      965.2

       

      965.2

       

      962.1

       

      962.1

       

      Add dilutive effect of stock options and awards  12.1  9.9

       

       

      13.2

       

       

      12.1

       

       
       
       
       
      Weighted-average common shares for EPS calculations 964.1 976.2 938.0 947.9

       

      965.2

       

      978.4

       

      962.1

       

      974.2

       

       
       
       
       
      Earnings per common share $1.31 $1.30 $0.73 $0.72

       

      $

      0.83

       

      $

      0.82

       

      $

      3.55

       

      $

      3.51

       

       
       
       
       
      Stock options excluded from EPS calculations(1)   5.8   5.4
       
       
       
       

      Stock options and deferred stock awards excluded from EPS calculations (1)

       

       

       

      12.4

       

       

       

      4.9

       


      Earnings Per Share Calculations(1)

       
       Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2005

       Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2004

      In millions, except per share amounts

       Basic
       Diluted
       Basic
       Diluted
      Net income available for common stockholders $2,618 $2,618 $1,154 $1,154
        
       
       
       
      Weighted-average common shares outstanding  960.5  960.5  934.9  934.9
      Add dilutive effect of stock options and awards    14.2    10.9
        
       
       
       
      Weighted-average common shares for EPS calculations  960.5  974.7  934.9  945.8
        
       
       
       
      Earnings per common share $2.73 $2.69 $1.23 $1.22
        
       
       
       
      Stock options excluded from EPS calculations(1)     4.4     4.0
        
       
       
       

      (1)
      Outstanding options (in millions)to purchase shares of common stock and deferred stock awards that were not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the effect of including them would have been anti-dilutive.

      Earnings Per Share Calculations

       

      Three Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2004

       

      Nine Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2004

       

      In millions, except per share amounts

       

      Basic

       

      Diluted

       

      Basic

       

      Diluted

       

      Net income available for common stockholders

       

      $

      617

       

      $

      617

       

      $

      1,771

       

      $

      1,771

       

      Weighted-average common shares outstanding

       

      940.9

       

      940.9

       

      937.0

       

      937.0

       

      Add dilutive effect of stock options and awards

       

       

      10.5

       

       

      11.8

       

      Weighted-average common shares for EPS calculations

       

      940.9

       

      951.4

       

      937.0

       

      948.8

       

      Earnings per common share

       

      $

      0.66

       

      $

      0.65

       

      $

      1.89

       

      $

      1.87

       

      Stock options excluded from EPS calculations (2)

       

       

       

      5.3

       

       

       

      4.5

       


      (2)   Outstanding options to purchase shares of common stock that were not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the options' exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common stock for the period; the effect of including them would have been anti-dilutive.

      19



      NOTE K—K– OPERATING SEGMENTS AND GEOGRAPHIC AREAS

      Operating Segments and Geographic Areas

       

      Three Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Operating segment sales

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Performance Plastics

       

      $

      2,939

       

      $

      2,417

       

      $

      8,467

       

      $

      6,875

       

      Performance Chemicals

       

      1,906

       

      1,694

       

      5,816

       

      4,894

       

      Agricultural Sciences

       

      615

       

      657

       

      2,635

       

      2,610

       

      Plastics

       

      2,900

       

      2,608

       

      8,682

       

      7,167

       

      Chemicals

       

      1,297

       

      1,340

       

      4,126

       

      3,986

       

      Hydrocarbons and Energy

       

      1,541

       

      1,294

       

      4,443

       

      3,480

       

      Unallocated and Other

       

      63

       

      62

       

      221

       

      213

       

      Total

       

      $

      11,261

       

      $

      10,072

       

      $

      34,390

       

      $

      29,225

       

      Operating segment EBIT (1)

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Performance Plastics

       

      $

      580

       

      $

      238

       

      $

      1,494

       

      $

      697

       

      Performance Chemicals

       

      298

       

      162

       

      1,035

       

      417

       

      Agricultural Sciences

       

      (28

      )

      43

       

      469

       

      545

       

      Plastics

       

      420

       

      428

       

      1,795

       

      1,134

       

      Chemicals

       

      168

       

      292

       

      863

       

      1,191

       

      Hydrocarbons and Energy

       

       

       

       

      (1

      )

      Unallocated and Other

       

      (164

      )

      (129

      )

      (579

      )

      (917

      )

      Total

       

      $

      1,274

       

      $

      1,034

       

      $

      5,077

       

      $

      3,066

       

      Geographic area sales

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      United States

       

      $

      4,123

       

      $

      3,771

       

      $

      12,868

       

      $

      11,013

       

      Europe

       

      4,036

       

      3,457

       

      12,643

       

      10,356

       

      Rest of World

       

      3,102

       

      2,844

       

      8,879

       

      7,856

       

      Total

       

      $

      11,261

       

      $

      10,072

       

      $

      34,390

       

      $

      29,225

       


      Operating Segments and Geographic Areas(1)

       
       Three Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
       
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       
      Operating segment sales             
       Performance Plastics $2,796 $2,294 $5,528 $4,458 
       Performance Chemicals  1,938  1,624  3,910  3,200 
       Agricultural Sciences  1,031  1,029  2,020  1,953 
       Plastics  2,774  2,325  5,782  4,559 
       Chemicals  1,355  1,370  2,829  2,646 
       Hydrocarbons and Energy  1,468  1,127  2,902  2,186 
       Unallocated and Other  88  75  158  151 
        
       
       
       
       
       Total $11,450 $9,844 $23,129 $19,153 
        
       
       
       
       
      Operating segment EBIT(1)             
       Performance Plastics $436 $268 $914 $459 
       Performance Chemicals  343  113  737  255 
       Agricultural Sciences  238  271  497  502 
       Plastics  575  399  1,375  706 
       Chemicals  267  726  695  899 
       Hydrocarbons and Energy        (1)
       Unallocated and Other  (95) (616) (415) (788)
        
       
       
       
       
       Total $1,764 $1,161 $3,803 $2,032 
        
       
       
       
       
      Geographic area sales             
       United States $4,368 $3,771 $8,745 $7,242 
       Europe  4,166  3,451  8,607  6,899 
       Rest of World  2,916  2,622  5,777  5,012 
        
       
       
       
       
       Total $11,450 $9,844 $23,129 $19,153 
        
       
       
       
       

      (1)
      The Company uses EBIT (which Dow defines as earnings (loss) before interest, income taxes and minority interests) as its measure of profit/loss for segment reporting purposes.  EBIT includes all operating items relating to the businesses and excludes items that principally apply to the Company as a whole.  A reconciliation of EBIT to "Net“Net Income Available for Common Stockholders"Stockholders” is provided below:

       
       Three Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

      EBIT $1,764 $1,161 $3,803 $2,032
      + Interest income  27  21  56  39
      – Interest expense and amortization of debt discount  188  182  375  368
      – Provision for income taxes  317  284  825  488
      – Minority interests' share in income  21  31  41  61
        
       
       
       
      Net Income Available for Common Stockholders $1,265 $685 $2,618 $1,154
        
       
       
       

       

       

       

      Three Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      EBIT

       

      $

      1,274

       

      $

      1,034

       

      $

      5,077

       

      $

      3,066

       

      + Interest income

       

      42

       

      19

       

      98

       

      58

       

      - Interest expense and amortization of debt discount

       

      168

       

      193

       

      543

       

      561

       

      - Provision for income taxes

       

      328

       

      214

       

      1,153

       

      702

       

      - Minority interests’ share in income

       

      19

       

      29

       

      60

       

      90

       

      Net Income Available for Common Stockholders

       

      $

      801

       

      $

      617

       

      $

      3,419

       

      $

      1,771

       

      Transfers of products between operating segments are generally valued at cost. Transfers of products to the Agricultural Sciences segment from the other segments, however, are generally valued at market-based prices; the revenues generated by these transfers in the first sixnine months of 2005 and 2004 were immaterial.


      NOTE L– SUBSEQUENT EVENT

      On October 3, 2005, the Company announced that Union Carbide Corporation had agreed on September 30, 2005, to the sale of its indirect 50 percent interest in UOP LLC (“UOP”) to Honeywell Specialty Materials LLC (which currently owns the remaining 50 percent interest in UOP) for a purchase price of $825 million plus or minus 50 percent of UOP’s net cash at closing. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory review, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005 and result in the recording of a gain.

      20



      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      PART I—I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION, Item 2.  Management'sManagement’s Discussion and

      Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

      DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

       

      The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor"“safe harbor” for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of The Dow Chemical Company and its subsidiaries ("Dow"(“Dow” or the "Company"“Company”). This section covers the current performance and outlook of the Company and each of its operating segments. The forward-looking statements contained in this section and in other parts of this document involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company'sCompany’s operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as more fully discussed elsewhere and in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"(“SEC”). These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Company'sCompany’s expectations will be realized. The Company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

      OVERVIEW

       

      The Company'sthird quarter of 2005 presented a number of challenges for the Company. Feedstock and energy costs continued to rise sharply, adding approximately $850 million of costs in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, bringing the year-to-date increase to $2.8 billion. In addition, two major hurricanes caused significant disruption in Dow’s operations on the U.S. Gulf Coast and logistics across the region. St. Charles Operations in Hahnville, Louisiana were shut down as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and normal operations were not restored for approximately four weeks. Then, as a precautionary measure, Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas were shut down due to the threat of Hurricane Rita. Normal operations at this facility were restored in approximately nine days. Operations were also halted or reduced at manufacturing facilities in Seadrift and Texas City, Texas and Plaquemine, Louisiana, as well as other sites in Texas and Louisiana, with disruptions ranging from three to five days. Dow’s facilities did not suffer any significant structural damage; the biggest impact of the hurricanes, although not material after insurance, was lost margin on sales due to the inability to produce and/or ship product and higher costs associated with reduced operating rates.

      In the face of these challenges, the Company’s management and employees continued to focus on financial discipline, lowering the total cost to serve customers and price/volume management, in order to further improve Dow'sDow’s financial performance. This includes sustaining productivity improvements achieved in the past two years and continued discipline in capital spending. Progress toward these goalsthis goal continued in the secondthird quarter of 2005. Dow'sDow’s results for the quarter included a 2012 percent increase in selling prices over the secondthird quarter of last year, which more than offset higher feedstock and energy costs, an increase in operating expenses and the impact of lower volume and a decline in equity earnings.operating rates. The secondthird quarter of 2005 was the tentheleventh consecutive quarter in which the Company achieved some degree of margin restoration (i.e., higher selling prices absorbed increases in feedstock and energy costs to partially restore margins). This progress reflects Dow's continued focus on financial performance, as well as a strengthening in industry conditions. Capital spending was $364$400 million in the secondthird quarter ($6501,050 million year to date), consistent with the Company'sCompany’s plan to spend approximately $1.5 billion in 2005. Dow'sDow’s results for the three-month and six-monthnine-month periods ending JuneSeptember 30, 2005 are discussed further in this section.

      Selected Financial Data


       Three Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
       

      Selected Financial Data

       

      Three Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions, except per share amounts

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sales $11,450 $9,844 $23,129 $19,153 

       

      $

      11,261

       

      $

      10,072

       

      $

      34,390

       

      $

      29,225

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Cost of sales 9,300 8,345 18,637 16,252 

       

      9,610

       

      8,697

       

      28,247

       

      24,949

       

      Percent of sales 81.2% 84.8% 80.6% 84.9%

       

      85.3

      %

      86.3

      %

      82.1

      %

      85.4

      %

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Research and development, and selling, general and
      administrative expenses
       654 609 1,300 1,223 

       

      643

       

      589

       

      1,943

       

      1,812

       

      Percent of sales 5.7% 6.2% 5.6% 6.4%

       

      5.7

      %

      5.8

      %

      5.6

      %

      6.2

      %

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Effective tax rate 19.8% 28.4% 23.7% 28.7%

       

      28.6

      %

      24.9

      %

      24.9

      %

      27.4

      %

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Net income available for common stockholders $1,265 $685 $2,618 $1,154 

       

      $

      801

       

      $

      617

       

      $

      3,419

       

      $

      1,771

       

      Earnings per common share—basic $1.31 $0.73 $2.73 $1.23 
      Earnings per common share—diluted $1.30 $0.72 $2.69 $1.22 

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Earnings per common share – basic

       

      $

      0.83

       

      $

      0.66

       

      $

      3.55

       

      $

      1.89

       

      Earnings per common share – diluted

       

      $

      0.82

       

      $

      0.65

       

      $

      3.51

       

      $

      1.87

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Operating rate percentage 83% 85% 85% 87%

       

      84

      %

      90

      %

      84

      %

      88

      %

       
       
       
       
       

      21



      RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

       

      Net sales for the secondthird quarter of 2005 were $11.5$11.3 billion, up 1612 percent from $9.8$10.1 billion in the secondthird quarter of last year. Compared with the same quarter of last year, prices rose 20 percent, while12 percent; volume declined 4 percentwas flat versus last year’s very strong volume (see the Sales Volume and Price table at the end of the section entitled "Segment Results"“Segment Results”). Prices were up in all operating segments and all geographic areas due to improved industry fundamentals and the continuing increase in feedstock and energy costs. Volume was downcosts and improved industry fundamentals. While volume improved in all operating segments exceptPerformance Plastics (up 5 percent, principally due to the addition of sales of ENGAGETM, NORDELTM and TYRINTM elastomers, acquired by the Company when it divested its interest in DuPont Dow Elastomers L.L.C. (“DDE”); see Note H to the Consolidated Financial Statements), Plastics (up 2 percent) and Hydrocarbons and Energy which grew(up 7 percent), the improvement was offset by volume declines in Performance Chemicals (down 4 percent), Agricultural Sciences (down 8 percent) and Chemicals (down 12 percent). Sales for the first nine months of 2005 were $34.4 billion, up 18 percent from $29.2 billion in the first nine months of last year. Compared with last year, prices were up 20 percent, while volume declined 2 percent. Compared with the second quarter of 2004, volume declined primarilyin part due to divestitures completed by the Company in 2004. Excluding the mid-2004 divestiture of assets in conjunction with the formation of Equipolymers and MEGlobal (50:50 joint ventures with Petrochemical Industries Company ("PIC"(“PIC”) of Kuwait)Kuwait; see Note D to the Consolidated Financial Statements), volume was flatup 1 percent for Plastics (versus a reported decline of 31 percent) and down 35 percent for Chemicals (versus a reported decline of 1915 percent). In addition, volume in Performance Plastics was unfavorably impacted by the fourth quarter of 2004 sale of the DERAKANE™ epoxy vinyl ester resin business. Sales for the first six months of 2005 were $23.1 billion, up 21 percent from


      $19.2 billion in the first half of last year. Compared with last year, prices were up 24 percent, while volume declined 3 percent.

       

      Gross margin for the secondthird quarter of 2005 was $2.2$1.7 billion, compared with $1.5$1.4 billion in the secondthird quarter of last year. Gross margin improved as higher selling prices of approximately $2.0$1.2 billion more than offset an increase of approximately $900$850 million in feedstock and energy costs and the unfavorable impact of the decline in volume and lower operating rates. Year to date, gross margin was $4.5$6.1 billion, compared with $2.9$4.3 billion in the first sixnine month of 2004.

       

      The Company'sCompany’s global plant operating rate for(for its chemicals and plastics businessesbusinesses) was 8384 percent in the secondthird quarter of 2005, compared with 8590 percent in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Approximately half of the decline in the Company'sThe Company’s operating rate was reduced by approximately 4 percentage points due to hurricane-related shutdowns on the active management of inventory levels and half was due to planned maintenance turnarounds inU.S. Gulf Coast during the secondthird quarter of 2005, including turnarounds in ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol, polyethylene, acrylates and the Hydrocarbons and Energy business.2005. For the first halfnine months of 2005, Dow'sDow’s global plant operating rate was 8584 percent, down from 8788 percent in the same period of 2004.

       

      Personnel count was 42,83242,821 at JuneSeptember 30, 2005, down from 43,203 at December 31, 2004 and 45,85543,630 at JuneSeptember 30, 2004. Headcount continued to decline, despite the addition of approximately 115 employees associated with the acquisition of businesses from DDE, as the Company remained focused on improving organizational efficiency and financial performance.

       

      Operating expenses (research and development, and selling, general and administrative expenses) were $654$643 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, up $45$54 million or 79 percent, from $609$589 million in the secondthird quarter of last year. Selling, general and administrative ("(“SG&A"&A”) expenses were up $36$38 million, due in part to an increase in selling expenses for agricultural products related to new product launches, and an increase in administrative expenses.expenses largely due to an increase in the allowance for doubtful receivables (related to the impact of higher energy costs on some customers and difficult economic conditions in Brazil). Research and development ("(“R&D"&D”) expenses increased $9$16 million. Despite these increases, secondthird quarter operating expenses remained low as a percent of net sales. For the first halfnine months of 2005, operating expenses totaled $1,300$1,943 million and were up $77$131 million or 67 percent from $1,223$1,812 million in the first halfnine months of 2004. The increase included higher R&D expenses of $13$29 million and higher SG&A expenses of $102 million related in part to an increase of approximately $30$44 million in the allowance for doubtful receivables (reflecting the higher level of sales)sales, unstable economic conditions in 2005.Brazil and increased risk in receivables due to higher energy costs).

       

      Amortization of intangibles was $13 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, compared with $16$19 million in the secondthird quarter of last year. For the first twothree quarters of 2005, amortization of intangibles was $27$40 million, down from $45$64 million for the same period last year. Amortization of intangibles was higher in 2004 primarily due to the write-off of goodwill associated with Hampshire Chemical'sChemical’s manufacturing facility in Nashua, New Hampshire, that produced HAMPOSYL™HAMPOSYLTM surfactants. In the first quarter of 2004, the Company made the decision to discontinue production of HAMPOSYL™HAMPOSYLTM surfactants and, as a result, wrote off goodwill of $13 million associated with this line of business in the Performance Chemicals segment. The manufacturing facility for this line of business was shut down in the third quarter of 2004; demolition is underway and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005. See Notes F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

       

      In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded a net pretax gain of $20 million related to restructuring activities. The net impact of these transactions, shown as "Restructuring“Restructuring net gain"gain” in the consolidated statements of income, included gains totaling $563 million related to the divestiture of assets in conjunction with the formation of two new joint ventures, MEGlobal and Equipolymers; asset impairments of $99 million related to the future sale or shutdown of facilities; the recognition of a liability of $148 million associated with a loan guarantee for Cargill Dow LLC ("(“Cargill Dow"Dow”), reflected in Unallocated and Other; and employee-related restructuring charges of $296 million, reflected in

      22



      Unallocated and Other. The gain related to MEGlobal was $439 million and was reflected in the Chemicals segment. The gain related to Equipolymers was $124 million and was reflected in the Plastics segment. The employee-related restructuring charges included severance of $225 million for a workforce reduction of 2,455 people and curtailment costs of $71 million associated with Dow'sDow’s defined benefit plans. For additional information, see Notes C, D, F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

       Dow's

      Dow’s share of the earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates was $224$240 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, compared with $254$232 million in the secondthird quarter of last year. DespiteFor the first nine months of 2005, equity earnings were $739 million, compared with $626 million for the same period last year. Compared with last year, equity earnings improved due to stronger results from a number of the Company'sCompany’s joint ventures (including Dow Corning Corporation ("(“Dow Corning"Corning”), Siam Polyethylene Company Limited, and UOP LLC), the addition of earnings from MEGlobal, and the absence of equity losses from Cargill Dow, equity earnings for the second quarter of 2005 were down from last year due to the favorable impact of the recognition of investment tax allowances by one of the Company's joint ventures in the second quarter of 2004. Equity earnings for the second quarter of 2005 were also impacted by unplanned outages at EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C. ("EQUATE") and the OPTIMAL Group ("OPTIMAL").Dow. On January 31, 2005, the Company exited Cargill Dow by transferring its 50 percent interest to the joint venture partner, Cargill, Incorporated (see Note C to the Consolidated Financial Statements). For the first six months of 2005,In 2004, year-to-date equity earnings were $499 million, compared with $394 million forincluded the same period last year. In addition tofavorable impact of the recognition of investment tax allowances by one of the Company’s joint ventures previously mentioned, improved results were reported by EQUATE in the first halfsecond quarter of 2005.2004.


       

      Sundry income (expense)—- net includes a variety of income and expense items such as the gain or loss on foreign currency exchange, dividends from investments, and gains and losses on sales of investments and assets. Sundry income (expense)—- net for the secondthird quarter of 2005 was net income of $57$39 million compared with net income of $13$35 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004. In the second quarter of 2005,Year to date, net sundry income was reduced by a loss of $31 million associated with the early extinguishment of $845 million of debt. Year to date, sundry income (expense) was net income of $139$178 million compared with net expense of $15$20 million in the first halfnine months of 2004. Year to date, net sundry income included a $70 million pretax gain ($41 million reflected in the Chemicals segment; $29 million reflected in the Plastics segment) on the sale of a portion of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s interest in EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C. (“EQUATE”) in the first quarter of 2005. In November 2004, Union Carbide sold a 2.5 percent interest in EQUATE to National Bank of Kuwait for $104 million. In March 2005, these shares were sold to private Kuwaiti investors thereby completing the restricted transfer, which resulted in the first quarter gain and reduced Union Carbide'sCarbide’s ownership interest from 45 percent to 42.5 percent. In 2004,addition, compared with last year, year-to-date net sundry expense includedincome was positively impacted by a favorable change in foreign exchange hedging results and negatively impacted by a loss of $31 million associated with the early extinguishment of $845 million of debt in the second quarter of 2005. In 2004, year-to-date net sundry income was reduced by a loss of approximately $30 million on the sale of assets (reflected in Unallocated and Other).

       

      Net interest expense (interest expense less capitalized interest and interest income) was $161$126 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, andcompared with $174 million in the secondthird quarter of last year. Year to date, net interest expense was $319$445 million, down from $329$503 million in the first sixnine months of 2004. Compared with last year, net interest expense declined primarilywas lower due to higher interest income, reflecting significantly higher levels of cash and cash equivalents.equivalents, and lower interest expense, reflecting a significant reduction in total debt.

      The Company’s effective tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, where income is earned and the level of income relative to tax credits available. The effective tax rate for the secondthird quarter was 19.828.6 percent, versus 28.424.9 percent for the secondthird quarter of 2004. The effective tax rate for the first sixnine months of the year was 23.724.9 percent, compared with 28.727.4 percent for the same period last year. In the second quarter of 2005, the Company finalized its plan for the repatriation of foreign earnings subject to the requirements of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 ("AJCA"(“AJCA”), resulting in a credit to the "Provision“Provision for income taxes"taxes” of $113 million (see Note B to the Consolidated Financial Statements). Absent this credit, the effective tax rate for the second quarter would have been 26.8 percent; and the effective tax rate for the first sixnine months of 2005 would have been 26.927.3 percent. The Company's effective tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, where income is earned and the level of income relative to tax credits available. The effective tax rate for 2005 was lower than last year due to a higher percentage of foreign sourced income compared with 2004 and stronger earnings from a number of the Company's joint ventures. Since most of the earnings from nonconsolidated affiliates are taxed at the joint venture level, the impact of higher equity earnings has reduced Dow's overall effective tax rate.

       

      Minority interests'interests’ share of net income was $21$19 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, down from $31$29 million in the secondthird quarter of last year. Year to date, minority interests'interests’ share of net income was $41$60 million, compared with $61$90 million in the first halfnine months of last year. During the first quarter of 2005, the Company purchased the remaining 28 percent of PBBPolisur S.A. for $98 million, resulting in the decline in minority interests'interests’ share of net income compared with 2004.

       

      Net income available for common stockholders was $1.3 billion$801 million or $1.30$0.82 per share for the secondthird quarter of 2005, compared with $685$617 million or $0.72$0.65 per share for the secondthird quarter of 2004. Net income for the first sixnine months of 2005 was $2.6$3.4 billion or $2.69$3.51 per share, compared with $1.2$1.8 billion or $1.22$1.87 per share for the same period of 2004.

      23



      The following tables summarize the impact of certain items (described previously in this section) recorded in the three-month and six-monthnine-month periods ended JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and 2004:


       Pretax
      Impact(1)

       Impact on
      Net Income(2)

       Impact on
      EPS(3)

       

       

      Pretax
      Impact
      (1)

       

      Impact on
      Net Income
      (2)

       

      Impact on
      EPS
      (3)

       


       Three Months Ended
       Three Months Ended
       Three Months Ended
       

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions, except per share amounts

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Gain on sale of EQUATE shares

       

      $

      70

       

       

      $

      46

       

       

      $

      0.05

       

       

      Loss on early extinguishment of debt $(31)  $(20)  $(0.02)  

       

      (31

      )

       

      (20

      )

       

      (0.02

      )

       

      AJCA repatriation of foreign earnings      113    0.12   

       

       

       

      113

       

       

      0.12

       

       

      Employee-related restructuring charges   $(296)  $(200)  $(0.21)

       

       

      $

      (296

      )

       

      $

      (200

      )

       

      $

      (0.21

      )

      Gains on divestitures of assets related to formation of
      MEGlobal and Equipolymers joint ventures
          563    379    0.40 

       

       

      563

       

       

      379

       

       

      0.40

       

      Asset impairments    (99)   (69)   (0.08)

       

       

      (99

      )

       

      (69

      )

       

      (0.08

      )

      Recognition of liability related to Cargill Dow
      loan guarantee
          (148)   (93)   (0.10)

       

       

      (148

      )

       

      (93

      )

       

      (0.10

      )

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Total $(31)$20 $93 $17 $0.10 $0.01 

       

      $

      39

       

      $

      20

       

      $

      139

       

      $

      17

       

      $

      0.15

       

      $

      0.01

       

       
       
       
       
       
       
       



       
       Pretax
      Impact(1)

       Impact on
      Net Income(2)

       Impact on
      EPS(3)

       
       
       Six Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
       Six Months Ended
       
      In millions, except per share amounts

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       
      Gain on sale of EQUATE shares $70   $46   $0.05   
      Loss on early extinguishment of debt  (31)   (20)   (0.02)  
      AJCA repatriation of foreign earnings      113    0.12   
      Employee-related restructuring charges   $(296)  $(200)  $(0.21)
      Gains on divestitures of assets related to formation of
          MEGlobal and Equipolymers joint ventures
          563    379    0.40 
      Asset impairments    (99)   (69)   (0.08)
      Recognition of liability related to Cargill Dow
          loan guarantee
          (148)   (93)   (0.10)
        
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Total $39 $20 $139 $17 $0.15 $0.01 
        
       
       
       
       
       
       

      (1)

      Impact on "Income“Income before Income Taxes and Minority Interests"
      Interests”

      (2)

      Impact on "Net“Net Income Available for Common Stockholders"
      Stockholders”

      (3)

      Impact on "Earnings“Earnings per common share—diluted"
      share – diluted”

      SEGMENT RESULTS

       

      The Company uses EBIT (which Dow defines as earnings before interest, income taxes and minority interests) as its measure of profit/loss for segment reporting purposes. EBIT includes all operating items relating to the businesses and excludes items that principally apply to the Company as a whole. See Note K to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a reconciliation of EBIT to "Net“Net Income Available for Common Stockholders."

      PERFORMANCE PLASTICS

       

      Performance Plastics sales were $2,796$2,939 million for the secondthird quarter of 2005, up 22 percent from $2,294$2,417 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with last year, prices rose 2417 percent whileand volume fell 2 percent, negatively impactedgrew 5 percent. Beginning July 1, 2005, sales of ENGAGETM, NORDELTM and TYRINTM elastomers – acquired by the Company when it divested its interest in DDE on June 30, 2005 (see Note H to the Consolidated Financial Statements) – are now being reported as part of the Performance Plastics segment. Excluding the acquisition of these products and the divestiture of the DERAKANE™DERAKANETM business in the fourth quarter of 2004.2004, volume decreased 1 percent. In the third quarter of 2005, EBIT for the segment was $436increased significantly to $580 million, from $238 million in the secondthird quarter up from $268 million in the same period last year,2004, as the impact of higher selling prices more than offset the higher cost of raw materials.

       

      Building and Construction sales for the secondthird quarter of 2005 were up 137 percent from a year ago, due to a 96 percent increase in prices and 4a 1 percent higherincrease in volume. Compared with last year, the increase in sales was led by STYROFOAMTM insulation sold into the building industry, with increases in both price and volume. Sales of new homeswere strong in North America continued at a high level, supporting strong demand for building and construction products. VolumeEurope, but down in Europe improved significantly due to strong growth in residential housing in SouthernLatin America and Eastern Europe. Despite higher sales,Asia Pacific. EBIT was relatively flat versusincreased compared with the samethird quarter of 2004 due to higher raw material costsselling prices and higher research and selling expenses.lower styrene costs.

       

      Dow Automotive sales for the second quarter of 2005 were up 1715 percent from a year ago, establishingsetting a new quarterly sales record for the business.third quarter sales. Compared with the secondthird quarter of last year, prices rose 1211 percent, with increases in all geographic areas, while volume grew 54 percent. Volume grew more than the industry'sindustry’s increase in automotive production, driven by new applicationsdue to successful differentiation of existing productsDow products. Demand was especially strong in Latin America and the introduction of new products. An increase in the production of cars for which Dow products are specified also influenced the increase in volume.Europe. EBIT for the business improved versus the secondthird quarter of last year, as the impact ofprincipally due to higher selling prices, higher volume and volume more than offset an increase in raw material costs.lower operating expenses.

       

      Engineering Plastics sales for the quarter were up 3120 percent versusfrom the secondthird quarter of 2004,last year, reflecting a 3019 percent increase in prices, driven by higher feedstock costs and tight industry supply/demand balances for polycarbonate, and a 1 percent growthincrease in volume. Polycarbonate continued to improve significantly in both priceWhile volume was up for polycarbonate products, volume declined versus last year for copolymers, and volume as demand was strong in the optical media, sheetcompounds and security applications.blends. EBIT for the secondthird quarter of 2005 improved significantly, primarily due to higher selling prices, as the business focused on enhancing profitability through price/volume management. Higher equity earnings also contributed to the increase in EBIT.

       

      24



      Sales of Epoxy Products and Intermediates for the secondthird quarter of 2005 were up 25increased 9 percent from last year, as price increases of 34due to a 21 percent wereincrease in prices, partially offset by a 9 percent decline in volume.volume of 12 percent. Prices increased in all geographic areas as Dowthe business focused on recovering margin lost to high raw material costs. VolumeCompared with last year, volume declined for most notablyproducts and in North America,all geographic areas, due in part to a shiftthe Company’s efforts to improve margins. Volume was also affected by the impact of Hurricane Rita on the business’ production facilities in customer base to Asia Pacific.Texas. EBIT in the secondthird quarter of 2005 improved as higher selling prices were partiallymore than offset by higher raw material costs, the decline in volume and lower operating rates.


       

      Polyurethanes and Thermoset Systems sales for the quarter were up 2616 percent from the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with last year, prices rose 2921 percent, driven by price increases for polyols and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate ("MDI"(“MDI”), polyols and thermoset systems, while volume fell 3 percent, principally due to the sale of the DERAKANE™ epoxy vinyl ester resin business in the fourth quarter of 2004. Excluding this divestiture, volume was down 1 percent versus the second quarter of 2004.declined 5 percent. Volume improved in the Thermoset Systems business, while volume for most polyurethane products declined due to some softness in industry conditions and a strategic shift to sell a higher percentage of these products through the Thermoset Systems business. Operating rates continue to be low for toluene diisocyanate ("TDI") due to industry overcapacity. Despite the decline in volume and lower operating rates, EBIT improved significantly from last year due to increased margins resulting from higher selling prices.

       

      Technology Licensing and Catalyst sales for the secondthird quarter were down 36up 46 percent from the same period a year ago due to a declineincreased revenues in licensing royalties related to polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol technology, a resultlicensing. Compared with the third quarter of the mid-2004 formation of MEGlobal. Despite improved equity earnings from UOP LLC,last year, EBIT declined from last yearincreased significantly due to the declineincrease in sales.sales and higher equity earnings, primarily from Univation Technologies, LLC and UOP LLC.

       

      Wire and Cable Compounds sales for the quarter were up 2917 percent from last year, due to a 2315 percent increase in price and 6a 2 percent volume growth.increase in volume. Despite higher selling prices, EBIT improvedfor the quarter declined due to an increase in raw material costs and a decline in equity earnings from last year, reflecting improved margins.year. Equity earnings in the third quarter of 2004 included the Company’s share of a gain on the sale of Nippon Unicar Company Limited’s silicon business.

       

      For the first sixnine months of 2005, sales for the year, Performance Plastics sales were $5,528 million, up 24segment increased 23 percent from $4,458$6,875 million in the same period last year, reflecting2004 to $8,467 million in 2005. The increase was due to a 2522 percent increase in prices and a 1 percent declineincrease in volume due to the sale of the DERAKANE™ business.volume. Year to date, EBIT for the segment was $914$1,494 million, up significantly from $459$697 million in the first half of 2004, as higher selling prices and improvedhigher equity earnings more than offset increased raw material costs lower volume and lower operating rates. In 2004, EBIT for the segment was negatively impacted by the first quarter write-down of the net book value of the Company'sCompany’s polyols production facility in Priolo, Italy ($22 million), following Dow'sDow’s decision to close the facility (see Note F to the Consolidated Financial Statements).

      PERFORMANCE CHEMICALS

       

      Performance Chemicals sales were $1,938$1,906 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005, up 1913 percent from $1,624$1,694 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with last year, prices rose 2317 percent, while volume declined 4 percent. EBIT for the secondthird quarter was $343$298 million, up from $113$162 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with the secondthird quarter of 2004,last year, EBIT improved as higher selling prices and higher equity earnings more than offset higher raw material costs, a decline in volume and lower operating rates and lower equity earnings. EBIT in the second quarter of 2004 was reduced by asset impairments totaling $89 million as follows: a $60 million write-down of the Company's contract manufacturing plant in Smithfield, Rhode Island, resulting from the pending disposal of the site; a $21 million partial write-down of a Specialty Polymers business; and an $8 million write-off of a latex manufacturing facility, which was shut down in the second quarter of 2004 (see Notes F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements). Excluding these asset impairments, EBIT increased $141 million from the second quarter of 2004.rates.

       

      Acrylics and Oxide Derivatives sales for the quarter were up 3312 percent from the secondthird quarter of 2004, reflecting a 4025 percent increase in prices and a 713 percent decline in volume, principally due principally to customer inventory de-stocking insofter industry demand and the current quarter.impact of the hurricanes on plant operations. Prices increased due to tight supply/demand balances across most product lines and rising raw material costs. Compared with last year, EBIT improved significantly as higher selling prices and higher equity earnings from OPTIMAL overcame an increase in raw material costs, thea decline in volume and lower equity earnings from OPTIMAL.operating rates.

       

      Dow Latex sales for the quarter were up 2716 percent compared with the secondthird quarter of 2004, as prices rose 3118 percent and volume declined 42 percent. Prices for styrene-butadiene latex sold into the coated paper and carpet industries were up in most geographic areas,continued to rise, driven by increased styrenebutadiene monomer costs. Volume declinedWhile volume of acrylic latexes sold to key paint manufacturers in North America improved, it was offset by a decline in volume for styrene-butadiene latex sold into the paper industry, driven by a 7-week strikedue to weak demand within the paper industry in Finland. Volume improved for the UCAR™ Emulsion Systems business with higher sales to key paint manufacturers.industry. EBIT improved significantly from last year as higher selling prices helped to restore margins. In the second quarter of last year, EBIT was reduced by an $8 million write-off of a latex manufacturing facility.

       

      Specialty Chemicals sales were up 1311 percent compared with the secondthird quarter of 2004, due to a 1410 percent increase in prices and a 1 percent declineincrease in volume, as the business sought to maximize margins through price/volume management. Price increases were driven by a tight industry supply/demand balance and higher propylene- and ethylene-based raw material costs. EBIT was up from last year as higher selling prices and higher equity earnings from OPTIMAL more than offset higher raw material costs and lower equity earnings from OPTIMAL.costs.


       

      Specialty Polymers sales inwere up 6 percent compared with the secondthird quarter of 2005 were up2004, due to a 4 percent increase in volume and a 2 percent from the same quarter last year, as prices rose 3 percent, including the favorable impact of currencyincrease in Europe, and volume declined 1 percent.prices. While volume was strong in Latin America, and North America, volume declined in Europe and Asia Pacific, due tovolume declined in North America, affected by two U.S. Gulf Coast hurricanes and a decline in demand for certain products used for building materials and paint applications. Sales wereVolume was strong in the secondthird quarter of 2005 for FILMTEC™FILMTECTM membranes, METHOCELTM cellulose ethers, POLYOXTM water soluble resins and hair/skin care products from Amerchol Corporation. InAs a result of the second quarter ofincreases in both volume and price, EBIT improved from last year, EBIT was reduced $21 million by the partial write-down of a Hampshire Chemical business (see Notes F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements). Excluding this 2004 write-down, EBIT declined due to higher raw material costs, lower operating rates and higher operating expenses.year.

       

      25



      Performance Chemicals sales were $3,910$5,816 million for the first sixnine months of the year, up 2219 percent from $3,200$4,894 million in the same period last year, reflecting a 2421 percent increase in prices and a 2 percent decline in volume. EBIT for the first sixnine months of 2005 was $737$1,035 million, compared with $255$417 million for the same period of 2004. EBIT improved significantly in 2004. In addition to the previously mentioned asset impairments of $89 million recorded in the second quarter of 2004, year-to-date EBIT for 2004 was negatively impacted by charges recorded in the first quarter related to the shutdown of Hampshire Chemical's Nashua, New Hampshire, manufacturing site. The first quarter charges included a $9 million write-down of the net book value of the facility and a $13 million write-off of goodwill (see Notes F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information). Excluding these charges, year-to-date EBIT for 2005 improved over 2004 as higher selling prices more than offset the impact of increased feedstock costs, lower volume and operating rates, and a decline in equity earnings. In 2004, EBIT was negatively impacted by charges of $111 million for asset impairments as follows: a $60 million write-down of the Company’s contract manufacturing plant in Smithfield, Rhode Island, resulting from the pending sale or shutdown of the site; a $21 million partial write-down of a Specialty Polymers business; an $8 million write-off of a latex manufacturing facility, which was shut down in the second quarter of 2004; and $22 million related to the shutdown of Hampshire Chemical’s Nashua, New Hampshire, manufacturing site. See Notes F and G to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the 2004 asset impairments.

      AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

       While second

      Sales in the third quarter sales of $1,031 million2005 for the Agricultural Sciences segment were up only slightly$615 million, down 6 percent from $1,029$657 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with last year, volume decreased 8 percent while prices rose 2 percent. While volume improved for seeds in the increase represented a new quarterly recordthird quarter of 2005, especially for sales. Prices rose 4 percent, with approximately halfsunflower seed in Argentina and the United States due to increased demand for heart-healthy oils, volume declined in many of the increasebusiness’ agricultural chemicals. In the United States, sales were reduced due to the favorable impactlack of currencysoybean rust infestation. Volumes in Europe, while volumeBrazil declined 4 percent, due in part to lower soybean herbicide sales in Brazil and Canada. Second quarter saleschallenging economic conditions. Insecticide volumes were also impacted by dry weather conditionslack of insect pressure and competing technologies in EuropePakistan and North America, which restricted the normal seasonal demand for herbicide products. Nevertheless, the business reported the successful introductionIndia. Partially offsetting these declines, sales of its penoxsulam rice herbicidechlorpyrifos insecticides in the United States Asia Pacificimproved due to a mite and Europe, and the continued growth of new formulations of existing herbicides, particularly related to small grain applications.aphid outbreak on soybeans. EBIT for the secondthird quarter of 2005 was $238a loss of $28 million, down fromcompared with a gain of $43 million for the quarterly record of $271 million set in the secondthird quarter of 2004. Compared with last year.year, EBIT declined due to lower volume, lower operating rates, and increased spending for new product launches including penoxulam herbicide, aminopyralid insecticide and higher operating expenses.WIDESTRIKETM cotton traits.

       

      For the first sixnine months of 2005, Agricultural Sciences sales were $2,020$2,635 million, up 31 percent from $1,953$2,610 million in 2004, due to price increases, primarily reflecting the favorable impact of currency in Europe.2004. Compared with the first halfnine months of 2004, prices increased 4 percent while volume was flat.declined 3 percent. Year-to-date EBIT for 2005 was $497$469 million, down slightly from $502$545 million last year.in the first nine months of 2004.

      PLASTICS

       

      Plastics sales for the secondthird quarter of 2005 were $2,774$2,900 million, up 1911 percent from $2,325$2,608 million a year ago, as prices increased 229 percent and volume declined 3grew 2 percent. Double-digitPrice increases in selling prices were reported in all geographic areas, driven by increases in feedstock and energy costs, with the most significant increases occurring in the United States. During the third quarter of 2005, Dow’s U.S. Gulf Coast manufacturing facilities were temporarily shutdown due to two hurricanes. Compared with the third quarter of last year, volume grew in all geographic areas except North America, where volume declined 4 percent due to the hurricanes. EBIT for the third quarter of 2005 was $420 million, down from $428 million for the same period last year. Despite the increase in selling prices, EBIT declined versus the third quarter of last year due to significantly higher feedstock and energy costs and the unfavorable impact of lower operating rates.

      Polyethylene sales were up significantly from the third quarter of 2004, as prices increased 12 percent and volume increased 4 percent. Double-digit price increases were recorded in North America, driven by escalating feedstock and energy costs. Compared with the same period last year, prices rose in all other geographic areas as well. Volume in North America declined slightly during the quarter as a result of the hurricanes, while solid volume growth was recorded in Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America. Compared with last year, EBIT for the third quarter improved slightly as increased selling prices roughly offset feedstock and energy costs for the business.

      Polypropylene sales were up 2 percent over the third quarter of 2004, due to a 7 percent increase in prices, substantially offset by a 5 percent decline in volume. Price increases, which reflected the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs, were recorded in all geographic areas, except Asia Pacific, compared with the third quarter of 2004. Volume declined significantly in North America due to the hurricane-related shutdown of Dow’s polypropylene facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The polypropylene plant at St. Charles Operations in Louisiana was down for approximately one month, resulting in a declaration of force majeure for this location. Compared with last year, EBIT for the third quarter of 2005 declined as the higher selling prices were more than offset by higher feedstock and energy costs and hurricane-related production outages.

      26



      Polystyrene sales for the third quarter of 2005 were up 5 percent, as prices increased 1 percent and volume increased 4 percent. Strong improvement in price was recorded in North America as the business increased prices in response to higher energy costs and limited styrene monomer availability due to the hurricanes. In Europe and Asia Pacific, prices were down from the third quarter of 2004, due to significantly lower styrene monomer costs. While volume was down in North America as a result of the hurricanes, demand in Europe and Asia Pacific improved significantly over 2004, resulting in improved volume overall. Despite lower styrene monomer costs, EBIT for the third quarter of 2005 was relatively flat, primarily due to hurricane-related costs. During the third quarter of 2005, operating rates declined and the business declared force majeure due to the limited availability of styrene monomer.

      Plastics sales for the first nine months of 2005 were $8,682 million, up 21 percent from $7,167 million in the first nine months of 2004. Compared with 2004, prices were up 22 percent, while volume declined 1 percent. Compared with last year, volume declined in Europe due to the mid-2004 formation of Equipolymers, a 50:50 joint venture with PIC.  Beginning July 1, 2004, sales of purified terephthalic acid ("PTA"(“PTA”) and polyethylene terephthalate ("PET"(“PET”) resins are reflected in the operating results of that joint venture. Excluding the impact of this divestiture, year-to-date volume was flat compared withup 1 percent from the second quarterfirst nine months of 2004. In April 2005, volume declined as customers reduced inventories with the expectation that a decline in feedstock and energy costs early in the quarter would lead to price reductions. With the reversal of the downward trend in feedstock and energy costs in May, and with a strong focus on price/volume management by Dow's businesses, volume improved and prices stabilized by the end of the second quarter of 2005.

      EBIT for the second quarterfirst nine months of 2005 was $575$1,795 million, up significantly from $399$1,134 million in the second quarterfirst nine months of 2004. Compared with the first nine months of last year, EBIT improved as the impact of higher selling prices and increasedimproved equity earnings from Siam Polyethylene Company Limited and EQUATE more than offset the riseincrease in feedstock and energy costs. In addition, results for the second quarterEBIT in first nine months of 2005 included a gain of $29 million associated with the sale of EQUATE shares, as previously described in Results of Operations, and a gain of $31 million associated with the divestiture of Dow'sDow’s interest in DuPont Dow Elastomers ("DDE"), the Company's 50:50 joint venture with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company,DDE and the acquisition of certain DDE assets. On January 3, 2005, the Company announced it had exercised its option to acquire certain assets (ethylene and chlorinated elastomers, including ENGAGE™ENGAGETM, NORDEL™NORDELTM and TYRIN™TYRINTM elastomers) from DDE. The transaction was completed during the second quarter of 2005. Going forward, the impact to the Plastics segment is expected to be


      immaterial. See Note H to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the transaction. Results forEBIT in the second quarterfirst nine months of 2004 included a gain of $124 million associated withon the divestituresale of assetsthe PET/PTA business in conjunction with the formation of Equipolymers.

       Polyethylene sales were up significantly from the second quarter of 2004, as prices increased 22 percent and volume increased 2 percent. Double-digit price increases were recorded in all geographic areas, reflecting the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs. Volume in the second quarter of 2005 improved in Europe and Asia Pacific. Volume was down in North America and Latin America as customers reduced inventories. Despite higher feedstock and other raw material costs, EBIT for the quarter improved significantly from the second quarter of 2004 due to higher selling prices and improved equity earnings from EQUATE and Siam Polyethylene Company Limited.

              Polypropylene sales were up 20 percent over the second quarter of 2004 as prices increased 21 percent and volume declined 1 percent. Price increases reflected the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs. Volume declined as customers reduced inventories, anticipating that declining propylene costs would lead to lower prices. Volume began to recover in the second half of the quarter. EBIT improved versus the same quarter last year as higher selling prices offset the impact of increases in feedstock and energy costs.

              Polystyrene sales for the second quarter of 2005 were up 28 percent compared with second quarter last year, as prices rose 29 percent and volume declined 1 percent. Strong improvement in price was reported in all geographic areas as the business raised prices in response to higher feedstock costs. Modest volume improvement was seen in all geographic areas except North America. EBIT for the second quarter improved significantly from the second quarter of 2004, as higher prices more than offset the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs.

              Plastics sales for the first half of 2005 were $5,782 million, up 27 percent from $4,559 million in the first half of 2004, with prices up 29 percent and volume down 2 percent. EBIT for the first half of 2005 was $1,375 million, up significantly from $706 million in the first half of 2004 as higher selling prices and improved equity earnings more than offset the impact of higher feedstock costs and the $124 million gain recognized in 2004 on the sale of the PET/PTA business. EBIT in the first half of 2005 also included a gain of $29 million associated with the sale of EQUATE shares, as previously described in Results of Operations.

      CHEMICALS

       Second

      Third quarter sales for the Chemicals segment were $1,355$1,297 million, down 13 percent from $1,370$1,340 million for the third quarter of last year as a 9 percent increase in prices was more than offset by a 12 percent decline in volume. Compared with last year, the improvement in price was driven by increases in caustic soda as supply remained tight and was further restricted by two hurricanes that affected production in the U.S. Gulf Coast late in the third quarter of 2005. The decline in sales volume was primarily due to plant outages caused by the hurricanes, with ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol most significantly impacted. EBIT for the segment was $168 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004,2005, down from $292 million in the same period of last year. Compared with the same period last year, EBIT in the third quarter of 2005 declined as price increases did not keep pace with sharp increases in feedstock and energy costs, resulting in a decline in margin compared with the third quarter of 2004. In addition, equity earnings from EQUATE were lower than last year due to an unplanned outage at the joint venture’s ethylene glycol facility in the third quarter of 2005.

      For the first nine months of 2005, sales for the Chemicals segment were $4,126 million, up 4 percent from $3,986 million last year, as prices increased 18rose 19 percent and volume declined 1915 percent. Prices were especially strong for caustic soda due to a continued tightening of supply as the industry continued to operate close to effective capacity. Compared with the second quarterfirst nine months of last year, volume declined primarily due to the mid-2004 formation of MEGlobal, a 50:50 joint venture with PIC of Kuwait.PIC. Since July 1, 2004, certain sales of ethylene glycol ("EG") are sold by that joint venture, rather than by Dow. Excluding these sales, year-to-date volume for 2005 for the Chemicals segment declined 35 percent compared with the second quartersame period of 2004. Volume was down for vinyl chloride monomer, due to lower demand for polyvinyl chloride within the housing industry, as customers reduced inventories, and EG, due to reduced availability resulting from planned maintenance turnarounds. EBIT for the segment was $267 million in the second quarter of 2005, down from $726 million in the second quarter of last year. Last year, EBIT included a gain of $439 million associated with the divestiture of assets in conjunction with the formation of MEGlobal. In addition, second quarter equity earnings from OPTIMAL and EQUATE were lower than last year, due to unplanned outages at both joint ventures in the second quarter of 2005.

              For the first half of 2005, sales for the Chemicals segment were $2,829 million, up 7 percent from $2,646 million last year, as prices increased 24 percent and volume declined 17 percent. Excluding the decline in volume related to the formation of MEGlobal, volume for the Chemicals segment declined 1 percent. EBIT for the first sixnine months of 2005 was $695$863 million, down from $899$1,191 million infor the same period last year. Excluding the $439 million gain last year on the salefirst nine months of assets related to the formation of MEGlobal,2004. EBIT improved as higher selling prices more than offset the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs, lower operating rates and lower equity earnings. In addition, year-to-date results for 2005 included a gain of $41 million associated with the sale of EQUATE shares, as previously described in Results of Operations. EBIT for 2004 included a gain of $439 million associated with the divestiture of assets in conjunction with the formation of MEGlobal. Excluding these gains, year-to-date EBIT for 2005 improved from 2004 as higher selling prices more than offset the impact of higher feedstock and energy costs, lower volume and operating rates, and lower equity earnings. Equity earnings from OPTIMAL and EQUATE were lower than last year, due to unplanned outages at both joint ventures in 2005.

      27



      HYDROCARBONS AND ENERGY

       

      Hydrocarbons and Energy sales for the secondthird quarter of 2005 were $1,468$1,541 million, up 3019 percent from $1,127$1,294 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004, as selling prices rose 2312 percent and volume grew 7 percent. The significant increase in selling prices was driven by higherthe continued rise in feedstock costs, which were influenced in the third quarter of 2005 by two hurricanes in the U.S. Gulf Coast. While the storms caused minimal property damage to Dow’s facilities, the disruption of oil and strong demand for refined productsgas production in the Gulf of Mexico and hydrocarbon monomers. Volume was up comparedthe closure of regional shipping ports resulted in a further tightening of ethylene and propylene market conditions and significant increases in feedstock and energy costs. Compared with the secondthird quarter of last year, volume was up due to higher refined product sales related to improved


      operations at the supplying refinery, as well asand an increase in sales of ethylene due to the formation of MEGlobal. For the first halfnine months of 2005, sales for the Hydrocarbons and Energy segment were $2,902$4,443 million, up 3328 percent from $2,186$3,480 million last year, due to a 2725 percent increase in selling prices and volume growth of 63 percent.

       

      The Hydrocarbons and Energy business transfers materials to Dow'sDow’s derivative businesses at cost.cost; therefore, EBIT for Hydrocarbons and Energy for the secondthird quarter of 2005 and for the same period last year was $0. Year to date, EBIT for 2005 was $0, compared with a loss of $1 million for the same period of 2004.

      UNALLOCATED AND OTHER

       

      Included in the results for Unallocated and Other are:

        results of insurance operations,

        Dow'sDow’s share of the earnings/losses of Dow Corning,

        gains and losses on sales of financial assets,

        expenses related to Dow Ventures,

        asbestos-related defense and resolution costs,

        foreign exchange hedging results, and

        overhead and other cost recovery variances not allocated to the operating segments.

       

      EBIT for the secondthird quarter of 2005 was a loss of $95$164 million compared with a loss of $616$129 million for the secondthird quarter of 2004. Results for the secondthird quarter of 2005 reflectedincluded performance-based stock compensation expense of $36 million ($12 million in the third quarter of 2004), asbestos-related defense and resolution costs (net of insurance) of $24 million ($19 million in the third quarter of 2004), and severance costs of $14 million (no severance was recorded in the third quarter of 2004).

      EBIT for the first nine months of 2005 was a loss of $579 million compared with a loss of $917 million for the same period last year. Results for the first nine months of 2005 included an improvement in equity earnings compared with the second quarter ofsame period last year (due to improved results from Dow Corning and the absence of equity losses from Cargill Dow), partially offset byperformance-based stock compensation expense of $241 million, asbestos-related defense and resolution costs (net of insurance) of $56 million, and a loss of $31 million associated with the early extinguishment of $845 million of debt. InResults for the second quarterfirst nine months of 2004 EBIT was negatively impacted by the following items:included employee-related restructuring charges, including severance of $225 million and curtailment costs of $71 million associated with Dow'sDow’s defined benefit plans; the recognition of a $148 million liability associated with a loan guarantee for Cargill Dow; and the write-down of a marine terminal of $10 million (sold in the third quarter of 2004). See Note C to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding these restructuring charges.

              EBIT for the first six months of 2005 was a loss of $415 million compared with a loss of $788 million for the same period last year. Compared with last year, year-to-date results for 2005 were reduced by higher performance-based stock compensation expense of approximately $170 million and higher expense of approximately $20 million related to the allowance for doubtful receivables. In addition to the restructuring charges, recorded in the second quarter of 2004, described in the preceding paragraph, year-to-date results for 2004 were reduced by asbestos-related defense and resolution costs (net of insurance) of $92 million, performance-based stock compensation expense of $42 million, and losses on the sale of assets of $36 million. Asbestos-related defense and resolution costs were $32 million in the first six months of 2005, compared with $73 million in the same period last year.

      28



      Sales Volume and Price by Operating Segment and Geographic Area

       
       Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2005

       Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2005

       
      Percentage change from prior year

       
       Volume
       Price
       Total
       Volume
       Price
       Total
       
      Operating segments             
       Performance Plastics (2)%24%22%(1)%25%24%
       Performance Chemicals (4)23 19 (2)24 22 
       Agricultural Sciences (4)4   3 3 
       Plastics (3)22 19 (2)29 27 
       Chemicals (19)18 (1)(17)24 7 
       Hydrocarbons and Energy 7 23 30 6 27 33 
        
       
       
       
       
       
       
       Total (4)%20%16%(3)%24%21%
        
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Geographic area sales             
       United States (2)%18%16% 21%21%
       Europe (2)23 21 (1)%26 25 
       Rest of World (10)21 11 (8)23 15 
        
       
       
       
       
       
       
       Total (4)%20%16%(3)%24%21%
        
       
       
       
       
       
       

       

       

      Three Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2005

       

      Nine Months Ended
      Sept. 30, 2005

       

      Percentage change from prior year

       

      Volume

       

      Price

       

      Total

       

      Volume

       

      Price

       

      Total

       

      Operating segments

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Performance Plastics

       

      5

      %

      17

      %

      22

      %

      1

      %

      22

      %

      23

      %

      Performance Chemicals

       

      (4

      )

      17

       

      13

       

      (2

      )

      21

       

      19

       

      Agricultural Sciences

       

      (8

      )

      2

       

      (6

      )

      (3

      )

      4

       

      1

       

      Plastics

       

      2

       

      9

       

      11

       

      (1

      )

      22

       

      21

       

      Chemicals

       

      (12

      )

      9

       

      (3

      )

      (15

      )

      19

       

      4

       

      Hydrocarbons and Energy

       

      7

       

      12

       

      19

       

      3

       

      25

       

      28

       

      Total

       

       

      12

      %

      12

      %

      (2

      )%

      20

      %

      18

      %

      Geographic area sales

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      United States

       

      (5

      )%

      14

      %

      9

      %

      (2

      )%

      19

      %

      17

      %

      Europe

       

      8

       

      9

       

      17

       

      1

       

      21

       

      22

       

      Rest of World

       

      (4

      )

      13

       

      9

       

      (7

      )

      20

       

      13

       

      Total

       

       

      12

      %

      12

      %

      (2

      )%

      20

      %

      18

      %

      OUTLOOK

       

      The outlook for the chemical industry remains positive for the fourth quarter, with an expectation of highersolid demand, driven by continued global GDP growth. With limited supply growth, industryIn the near term, supply/demand balances should continuefor some chemical industry products are expected to improve.be very tight due to constrained industry production following the hurricanes on the U.S. Gulf Coast and other outages. Continued volatility in feedstock and energy costs however, adds uncertainty to the industry profit outlook. While there is some risk that sustained high energy costs may dampen economic growth in the United States, that risk is moderated by the fact that the overall U.S. economy is less energy intensive than it washas been in the past.

       Price

      Going forward, price momentum is favorable, with significant increases announced in many Dow businesses for the fourth quarter. Demand for Dow moving intoproducts is expected to be roughly the same as in the third quarter, with improvements in some businesses offsetting seasonal declines in others, primarily those related to the building and Dow expectsconstruction industry and those with significant exposure to see good demand growth from second quarter levels in many businesses, as the inventory correction, which lasted longer than expected, appears to have run its course. As usual,pre-holiday demand in China, as that demand typically slows down late in the year. Lingering effects of the hurricanes on logistics and certain raw material supplies may have a negative impact on volume and cost for some Dow AgroSciencesproducts, but the impact is expected to decline in the second half of 2005, versus the first half of the year, due to normal seasonal patterns. Other businesses are also expected to show seasonal variations. Dow's purchasedbe relatively minor. Purchased feedstock and energy costs are expected to remain highly volatile andvolatile; therefore, Dow’s costs are expected to increase significantly compared with the second quarter, and forwardthird quarter. Forward prices for oil and gas indicate that Dow’s purchased feedstock and energy costs maycould rise even furtherby more than twice the approximately $400 million increase that it experienced during the third quarter. The impact of announced price increases in the fourth quarter.quarter should allow Dow to cover these higher purchased feedstock and energy costs, resulting in stable or improved margins for the Company as a whole compared with the third quarter, although the extent of margin recovery will vary from business to business.

       

      Dow will continue to focus on cost controlfinancial discipline and margin management to restore margins to reinvestment levels across the Company'sits business portfolio. Given continued macroeconomic growth, Dow continues to expect volume growth for the full year to be between 2 and 5 percent, although, given the extent of the recent inventory correction, growth is likely to be closer to the low end of this range. DowThe Company expects to continue to see year-over-year earnings improvements through 2005, and expects that 2006 willto show further earnings growth.

      29



      CHANGES IN FINANCIAL CONDITION

       

      The Company'sCompany’s cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, as reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, are summarized in the following table:

      Cash Flow Summary


       Six Months Ended
       

      Cash Flow Summary

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      In millions

      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      Cash provided by (used in):Cash provided by (used in):     

       

       

       

       

       

      Operating activities $2,442 $719 
      Investing activities (855) 81 
      Financing activities (1,304) (894)
      Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (229) (4)
       
       
       

      Operating activities

       

      $

      3,543

       

      $

      1,548

       

      Investing activities

       

      (1,198

      )

      (225

      )

      Financing activities

       

      (2,092

      )

      (1,308

      )

      Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

       

      (182

      )

      (5

      )

      Net change in cash and cash equivalentsNet change in cash and cash equivalents $54 $(98)

       

      $

      71

       

      $

      10

       

       
       
       

       

      Due to improved earnings year over year, cash provided by operating activities increased significantly in the first sixnine months of 2005 versuscompared with the same period last year, despite an increase in working capital requirements and contributions of $436$634 million to the Company'sCompany’s pension plans (see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements).

       

      Cash used in investing activities in the first sixnine months of 2005 increased versuscompared with the same period last year primarily due to increases inincreased capital expenditures, investments in consolidated companies (including $98 million for the remaining 28 percent of PBBPolisur) and investments in nonconsolidated affiliates (including $170 million paid to Cargill Dow,Dow; see Note C to the Consolidated Financial Statements). In the first sixnine months of 2004, cash providedused by investing activities included proceeds of $845 million related to the divestiture of assets in conjunction with the formation of MEGlobal and Equipolymers. These proceeds were partially offset by the use of cash to acquire the acrylates business of Celanese AG.AG and capital expenditures.

       During the second quarter of 2005, the Company significantly reduced debt levels, including the early extinguishment of $845 million of debt.

      Cash used in financing activities in the first sixnine months of 2005 of $1,304 million increased compared with the same period last year principally due to a reduction in debt levels, including the early extinguishment of $923 million of debt through the third quarter of 2005. In the first nine months of 2004, cash used in financing activities included proceeds of $621 million from the issuance of long-term debt compared with the same period last year.debt.


      The following tables present working capital, total debt and certain balance sheet ratios at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004:

      Working Capital

        
        
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       Dec. 31,
      2004

      Current assets $16,073 $15,890
      Current liabilities  9,566  10,506
        
       
      Working capital $6,507 $5,384
        
       
      Current ratio  1.68:1  1.51:1
      Days-sales-outstanding-in-receivables  41  40
      Days-sales-in-inventory  60  57
        
       
      Total Debt

        
        
       
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       Dec. 31,
      2004

       
      Notes payable $133 $104 
      Long-term debt due within one year  1,235  861 
      Long-term debt  10,023  11,629 
        
       
       
       Gross debt $11,391 $12,594 
        
       
       
      Cash and cash equivalents $3,162 $3,108 
      Marketable securities and interest-bearing deposits  39  84 
        
       
       
       Net debt $8,190 $9,402 
        
       
       
      Gross debt as a percent of total capitalization  42.6% 47.9%
      Net debt as a percent of total capitalization  34.8% 40.7%
        
       
       

       

      Working Capital

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Dec. 31,
      2004

       

      Current assets

       

      $

      16,850

       

      $

      15,890

       

      Current liabilities

       

      9,728

       

      10,506

       

      Working capital

       

      $

      7,122

       

      $

      5,384

       

      Current ratio

       

      1.73:1

       

      1.51:1

       

      Days-sales-outstanding-in-receivables

       

      39

       

      40

       

      Days-sales-in-inventory

       

      64

       

      57

       

      Total Debt

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Dec. 31,
      2004

       

      Notes payable

       

      $

      203

       

      $

      104

       

      Long-term debt due within one year

       

      719

       

      861

       

      Long-term debt

       

      9,969

       

      11,629

       

      Gross debt

       

      $

      10,891

       

      $

      12,594

       

      Cash and cash equivalents

       

      $

      3,179

       

      $

      3,108

       

      Marketable securities and interest-bearing deposits

       

      31

       

      84

       

      Net debt

       

      $

      7,681

       

      $

      9,402

       

      Gross debt as a percent of total capitalization

       

      40.5

      %

      47.9

      %

      Net debt as a percent of total capitalization

       

      32.4

      %

      40.7

      %

      30



      As part of its ongoing financing activities, Dow has the ability to issue promissory notes under its U.S. and Euromarket commercial paper programs. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, there were no commercial paper borrowings outstanding. In the event Dow has short term liquidity needs and is unable to access these short-term markets due to a systemic disruption or other extraordinary events,for any reason, Dow has the ability to access liquidity through its committed and available credit facilities with various U.S. and foreign banks totaling $3.0 billion in support of its working capital requirements and commercial paper borrowings. These facilities include a $1.25 billion 364-day revolving credit facility, which matures in April 2006, and a $1.75 billion 5-year revolving credit facility, which matures in April 2009.

       

      At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, the Company had $3,455 million of SEC-registered securities available for issuance under U.S. shelf registrations, as well as Euro 1.5 billion (approximately $1.8 billion) available for issuance under the Company'sCompany’s Euro Medium Term Note Program.

       

      On July 14, 2005, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 25 million shares of Dow common stock over the period ending on December 31, 2007. During the third quarter of 2005, the Company purchased 303,200 shares of the Company’s common stock under this program. See PART II, Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds for additional information.

      Contractual Obligations

       

      Information related to the Company'sCompany’s contractual obligations and commercial commitments at December 31, 2004 can be found in Notes K, L, M, N and T to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. With the exception of the items included in the following tables, there have been no material changes in the Company'sCompany’s contractual obligations or commercial commitments since December 31, 2004.

      Contractual Obligations at September 30, 2005

       

      Payments Due by Year

       

       

       

      In millions

       

      2005

       

      2006

       

      2007

       

      2008

       

      2009

       

      2010 and beyond

       

      Total

       

      Long-term debt – current and noncurrent (1)

       

      $

      104

       

      $

      1,354

       

      $

      1,273

       

      $

      576

       

      $

      783

       

      $

      6,598

       

      $

      10,688

       

      Pension and other postretirement benefits (2)

       

      165

       

      358

       

      366

       

      460

       

      537

       

      1,749

       

      3,635

       

      Expected cash requirements for interest (1)

       

      120

       

      625

       

      563

       

      494

       

      462

       

      5,042

       

      7,306

       


      Contractual Obligations at June 30, 2005(1)

       
       Payments Due by Year
        
      In millions

       2005
       2006
       2007
       2008
       2009
       2010 and
      beyond

       Total
      Long-term debt—current and noncurrent(1) $671 $1,363 $1,276 $576 $783 $6,589 $11,258
      Pension and other postretirement benefits(2)  392  358  366  460  537  1,674  3,787
      Expected cash requirements for interest(1)  326  630  565  495  463  4,994  7,473

      (1)
      Updated to reflect the early extinguishment of $845$923 million of debt inthrough the secondthird quarter of 2005.

      (2)

      Updated to reflect the Company'sCompany’s revised estimate regarding its contributions to Dow'sDow’s pension plans in 2005 (see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements).

      Contractual Obligations at December 31, 2004

       
       Payments Due by Year
        
      In millions

       2005
       2006
       2007
       2008
       2009
       2010 and
      beyond

       Total
      Long-term debt—current and noncurrent $861 $1,480 $1,362 $587 $1,300 $6,900 $12,490
      Pension and other postretirement benefits  383  440  566  680  537  1,541  4,147
      Expected cash requirements for interest  735  699  634  566  521  5,306  8,461

       

      Contractual Obligations at December 31, 2004

       

      Payments Due by Year

       

       

       

      In millions

       

      2005

       

      2006

       

      2007

       

      2008

       

      2009

       

      2010 and beyond

       

      Total

       

      Long-term debt – current and noncurrent

       

      $

      861

       

      $

      1,480

       

      $

      1,362

       

      $

      587

       

      $

      1,300

       

      $

      6,900

       

      $

      12,490

       

      Pension and other postretirement benefits

       

      383

       

      440

       

      566

       

      680

       

      537

       

      1,541

       

      4,147

       

      Expected cash requirements for interest

       

      735

       

      699

       

      634

       

      566

       

      521

       

      5,306

       

      8,461

       

      The Company also had outstanding guarantees at JuneSeptember 30, 2005. Additional information related to these guarantees can be found in the "Guarantees"“Guarantees” table provided in Note H to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

      Dividends

       

      On July 29,October 28, 2005, the Company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.335 per share to stockholders of record on JuneSeptember 30, 2005. Since 1912, the Company has paid a cash dividend every quarter and, in each instance, Dow has maintained or increased the amount of the dividend, adjusted for stock splits. During that 93-year period, Dow has increased the amount of the quarterly dividend 45 times (approximately 12 percent of the time) and maintained the amount of the quarterly dividend approximately 88 percent of the time.

      Subsequent Event

      On October 3, 2005, the Company announced that Union Carbide Corporation had agreed on September 30, 2005, to the sale of its indirect 50 percent interest in UOP LLC (“UOP”) to Honeywell Specialty Materials LLC (which currently owns the remaining 50 percent interest in UOP) for a purchase price of $825 million plus or minus 50 percent of UOP’s net cash at closing. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory review, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005 and result in the recording of a gain.

      31



      OTHER MATTERS

      Accounting Changes

       

      See Note B to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of accounting changes and recently issued accounting pronouncements.

      Critical Accounting Policies

       

      The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"(“GAAP”) requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Note A to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 ("(“2004 10-K"10-K”) describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Dow'sDow’s critical accounting policies that are impacted by judgment, assumptions and estimates are described in Management'sManagement’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the Company'sCompany’s 2004 10-K. Since December 31, 2004, there have been no material changes in the Company'sCompany’s critical accounting policies.

      Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation

       

      The following disclosure should be read in conjunction with the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

      Introduction

       

      Union Carbide Corporation ("(“Union Carbide"Carbide”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past three decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that Union Carbide sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s premises, and Union Carbide'sCarbide’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former Union Carbide subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. ("Amchem"(“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to Union Carbide'sCarbide’s products.

       

      Influenced by the bankruptcy filings of numerous defendants in asbestos-related litigation and the prospects of various forms of state and national legislative reform, the rate at which plaintiffs filed asbestos-related suits against various companies, including Union Carbide and Amchem, increased in 2001, 2002 and the first half of 2003. Since then, the rate of filing has significantly abated. Union Carbide expects more asbestos-related suits to be filed against Union Carbide and Amchem in the future, and will aggressively defend or reasonably resolve, as appropriate, both pending and future claims.


       

      The table below provides information regarding asbestos-related claims filed against Union Carbide and Amchem for the sixnine months ended JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and 2004:

       
       2005
       2004
       
      Claims unresolved at January 1 203,416 193,891 
      Claims filed 20,456 34,013 
      Claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved (25,402)(24,389)
        
       
       
      Claims unresolved at June 30 198,470 203,515 
      Claimants with claims against both Union Carbide and Amchem 64,682 69,647 
        
       
       
      Individual claimants at June 30 133,788 133,868 
        
       
       

       Plaintiffs'

       

       

      2005

       

      2004

       

      Claims unresolved at January 1

       

      203,416

       

      193,891

       

      Claims filed

       

      27,715

       

      45,324

       

      Claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved

       

      (51,928

      )

      (37,110

      )

      Claims unresolved at September 30

       

      179,203

       

      202,105

       

      Claimants with claims against both Union Carbide and Amchem

       

      61,524

       

      72,302

       

      Individual claimants at September 30

       

      117,679

       

      129,803

       

      Plaintiffs’ lawyers often sue dozens or even hundreds of defendants in individual lawsuits on behalf of hundreds or even thousands of claimants. As a result, those damages are not expressly identified as to Union Carbide, Amchem or any other particular defendant, even when specific damages are alleged with respect to a specific disease or injury. In fact, there are no personal injury cases in which only Union Carbide and/or Amchem are the sole named defendants. For these reasons and based upon Union Carbide'sCarbide’s litigation and settlement experience, Union Carbide does not consider the damages alleged against Union Carbide and Amchem to be a meaningful factor in its determination of any potential asbestos liability.

      32



      Estimating the Liability

       

      Based on a study completed by Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation ("ARPC"(“ARPC”) in January 2003, Union Carbide increased its December 31, 2002 asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims for the 15-year period ending in 2017 to $2.2 billion, excluding future defense and resolution costs. At each balance sheet date, Union Carbide compares current asbestos claim and resolution activity to the assumptions in the ARPC study to determine whether the accrual continues to be appropriate. In November 2004, Union Carbide requested ARPC to review Union Carbide'sCarbide’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its January 2003 study. In January 2005, ARPC provided Union Carbide with a report summarizing the results of its study. Based on ARPC'sARPC’s studies, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s recent asbestos litigation experience, and the uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation and legislative reform efforts, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management determined that no change to the accrual was required at December 31, 2004.

       

      Based on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s review of 2005 activity, Union Carbide determined that no change to the accrual was required at JuneSeptember 30, 2005.

       

      Union Carbide'sCarbide’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.5 billion at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and $1.6 billion at December 31, 2004. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, approximately 3936 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 6164 percent related to future claims. At December 31, 2004, approximately 37 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 63 percent related to future claims.

      Defense and Resolution Costs

       

      The following table provides information regarding defense and resolution costs related to asbestos-related claims filed against Union Carbide and Amchem:

      Defense and Resolution Costs
       Six Months Ended
       Aggregate Costs
        
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       June 30,
      2004

       to Date as of
      June 30, 2005

      Defense costs $32 $47 $376
      Resolution costs  98  148  1,024

       

      Defense and Resolution Costs

       

      Nine Months Ended

       

      Aggregate Costs

       

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Sept. 30,
      2004

       

      to Date as of
      Sept. 30, 2005

       

      Defense costs

       

      $

      55

       

      $

      66

       

      $

      399

       

      Resolution costs

       

      $

      122

       

      $

      250

       

      $

      1,048

       

      The average resolution payment per asbestos claimant and the rate of new claim filings has fluctuated both up and down since the beginning of 2001. Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management expects such fluctuations to continue in the future based upon the number and type of claims settled in a particular period, the jurisdictions in which such claims arose, and the extent to which any proposed legislative reform related to asbestos litigation is being considered.


      Insurance Receivables

       

      At December 31, 2002, Union Carbide increased the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability to $1.35 billion, substantially exhausting its asbestos product liability coverage. The insurance receivable related to the asbestos liability was determined by Union Carbide after a thorough review of applicable insurance policies and the 1985 Wellington Agreement, to which Union Carbide and many of its liability insurers are signatory parties, as well as other insurance settlements, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, and taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers. The Wellington Agreement and other agreements with insurers are designed to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise.

       

      Union Carbide'sCarbide’s receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability was $590$550 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2005 and $712 million at December 31, 2004. At JuneSeptember 30, 2005, $453$443 million ($543 million at December 31, 2004) of the receivable for insurance recoveries was related to insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage.

       

      In addition, Union Carbide had receivables for defense and resolution costs submitted to insurance carriers for reimbursement as follows:

      Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers
      In millions

       June 30,
      2005

       December 31,
      2004

      Receivables for defense costs $91 $85
      Receivables for resolution costs  368  406
        
       
      Total $459 $491
        
       

       

      Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers

      In millions

       

      Sept. 30,
      2005

       

      Dec. 31,
      2004

       

      Receivables for defense costs

       

      $

      86

       

      $

      85

       

      Receivables for resolution costs

       

      333

       

      406

       

      Total

       

      $

      419

       

      $

      491

       

      33



      Union Carbide expenses defense costs as incurred. The pretax impact for defense and resolution costs, net of insurance, was $14$24 million in the secondthird quarter of 2005 ($4819 million in the secondthird quarter of 2004) and $32$56 million in the first sixnine months of 2005 ($7392 million in the first sixnine months of 2004), and was reflected in "Cost“Cost of sales."

      In September 2003, Union Carbide filed a comprehensive insurance coverage case in the Circuit Court for Kanawha County in Charleston, West Virginia, seeking to confirm its rights to insurance for various asbestos claims (the "West“West Virginia action"action”) and to facilitate an orderly and timely collection of insurance proceeds. Although Union Carbide already has settlements in place concerning coverage for asbestos claims with many of its insurers, including those covered by the 1985 Wellington Agreement, this lawsuit was filed against insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place with Union Carbide regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage, in order to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of such insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise. In early 2004, several of the defendant insurers in the West Virginia action filed a competing action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. As a result of motion practice, the West Virginia action was dismissed in August 2004 on the basis offorum non conveniens (i.e.(i.e., West Virginia is an inconvenient location for the parties). The comprehensive insurance coverage litigation is now proceeding in the New York courts (the "New“New York action"action”). Through the secondthird quarter of 2005, Union Carbide reached settlements with several of the carriers involved in the New York action. After a further review of its insurance policies, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, after taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers; existing insurance settlements; and the advice of outside counsel with respect to the applicable insurance coverage law relating to the terms and conditions of its insurance policies, Union Carbide continues to believe that its recorded receivable for insurance recoveries from all insurance carriers is probable of collection.

      Summary

       

      The amounts recorded by Union Carbide for the asbestos-related liability and related insurance receivable described above were based upon current, known facts. However, projecting future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of disposing of each such claim, coverage issues among insurers, and the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States, could cause the actual costs and insurance recoveries for Union Carbide to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded.


       

      Because of the uncertainties described above, Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing Union Carbide and Amchem. Union Carbide'sCarbide’s management believes that it is reasonably possible that the cost of disposing of Union Carbide'sCarbide’s asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on Union Carbide'sCarbide’s results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of Union Carbide.

       

      It is the opinion of Dow'sDow’s management that it is reasonably possible that the cost of Union Carbide disposing of its asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on the Company'sCompany’s results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of the Company.


      34




      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      PART I—I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

      ITEM 3.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

       Dow's

      Dow’s business operations give rise to market risk exposure due to changes in foreign exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and other market factors such as equity prices. To manage such risks effectively, the Company enters into hedging transactions, pursuant to established guidelines and policies, which enable it to mitigate the adverse effects of financial market risk. Derivatives used for this purpose are designated as hedges per SFAS No. 133, "Accounting“Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities," where appropriate. A secondary objective is to add value by creating additional non-specific exposure within established limits and policies; derivatives used for this purpose are not designated as hedges per SFAS No. 133. The potential impact of creating such additional exposures is not material to the Company'sCompany’s results.

       

      The global nature of Dow'sDow’s business requires active participation in the foreign exchange markets. As a result of investments, production facilities and other operations on a global basis, the Company has assets, liabilities and cash flows in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The primary objective of the Company'sCompany’s foreign exchange risk management is to optimize the U.S. dollar value of net assets and cash flows, keeping the adverse impact of currency movements to a minimum. To achieve this objective, the Company hedges on a net exposure basis using foreign currency forward contracts, over-the-counter option contracts, cross-currency swaps, and nonderivative instruments in foreign currencies. Main exposures are related to assets and liabilities denominated in the currencies of Europe, Asia Pacific and Canada; bonds denominated in foreign currencies—currencies – mainly the Euro and Japanese yen; and economic exposure derived from the risk that currency fluctuations could affect the U.S. dollar value of future cash flows. The majority of the foreign exchange exposure is related to European currencies and the Japanese yen.

       

      The main objective of interest rate risk management is to reduce the total funding cost to the Company and to alter the interest rate exposure to the desired risk profile. Dow uses interest rate swaps, "swaptions,"“swaptions,” and exchange-traded instruments to accomplish this objective. The Company'sCompany’s primary exposure is to the U.S. dollar yield curve.

       

      Dow has a portfolio of equity securities derived from its acquisition and divestiture activity. This exposure is managed in a manner consistent with the Company'sCompany’s market risk policies and procedures.

       

      Inherent in Dow'sDow’s business is exposure to price changes for several commodities. Some exposures can be hedged effectively through liquid tradable financial instruments. Feedstocks for ethylene production and natural gas constitute the main commodity exposures. Over-the-counter and exchange traded instruments are used to hedge these risks when feasible.

       

      Dow uses value at risk ("VAR"(“VAR”), stress testing and scenario analysis for risk measurement and control purposes. VAR estimates the potential gain or loss in fair market values, given a certain move in prices over a certain period of time, using specified confidence levels. On an ongoing basis, the Company estimates the maximum gain or loss that could arise in one day, given a two-standard-deviation movement in the respective price levels. These amounts are relatively insignificant in comparison to the size of the equity of the Company. The VAR methodology used by Dow is based primarily on the variance/covariance statistical model. The year-end VAR and average daily VAR for the aggregate of non-trading and trading positions for 2004 and 2003 are shown below:

      Total Daily VAR at December 31*

       2004
       2003
      In millions

       Year-end
       Average
       Year-end
       Average
      Foreign exchange $2 $2 $1 $2
      Interest rate  80  87  109  108
      Equity exposures, net of hedges  1  2  2  2
      Commodities  26  29  12  14

      Total Daily VAR at December 31*

       

      2004

       

      2003

       

      In millions

       

      Year-end

       

      Average

       

      Year-end

       

      Average

       

      Foreign exchange

       

      $

      2

       

      $

      2

       

      $

      1

       

      $

      2

       

      Interest rate

       

      80

       

      87

       

      109

       

      108

       

      Equity exposures, net of hedges

       

      1

       

      2

       

      2

       

      2

       

      Commodities

       

      26

       

      29

       

      12

       

      14

       


      *

      Using a 95 percent confidence level

       

      Since December 31, 2004, there have been no material changes in the Company'sCompany’s risk management policies. Inpolicies or in the second quarter of 2005, the Company'sCompany’s daily VAR for the aggregate of non-trading and trading positions declined from a total year-end VAR of $109 million to a total of $82 million at June 30, 2005. The decline was primarily the result of a decline in the interest rate VAR from a year-end VAR of $80 million to $64 million, due to a reduction in the Company's long-term debt, and a decline in the commodities VAR from a year-end VAR of $26 million to $11 million at June 30, 2005, due to changes in the Company's hedging strategies.positions.

       

      For further disclosure regarding market risk, see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

      35




      ITEM 4.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

      Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

       

      As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company'sCompany’s Disclosure Committee and the Company'sCompany’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company'sCompany’s disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to paragraph (b) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company'sCompany’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

      Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

       

      There were no changes in the Company'sCompany’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15 that was conducted during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company'sCompany’s internal control over financial reporting.


      36




      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      PART II—II – OTHER INFORMATION

      ITEM 1.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

      Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation

       

      No material developments regarding this matter occurred during the secondthird quarter of 2005. For a summary of the history and current status of this matter, see Management'sManagement’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation; and Note H to the Consolidated Financial Statements.


      ITEM 2.  UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.

       

      The following table provides information regarding purchases of the Company’s common stock by the Company during the three months ended September 30, 2005:

      Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

      Period

       

      Total number of
      shares purchased
      (1)

       

      Average price
      paid per share

       

      Total number of shares
      purchased as part of the
      Company’s publicly
      announced share
      repurchase program
      (2)

       

      Maximum number of
      shares that may yet be
      purchased under the
      Company’s publicly
      announced share
      repurchase program

       

      July 2005

       

       

       

       

      25,000,000

       

      August 2005

       

      261,738

       

      $

      45.10

       

      234,200

       

      24,765,800

       

      September 2005

       

      69,000

       

      43.22

       

      69,000

       

      24,696,800

       

      Third quarter 2005

       

      330,738

       

      $

      44.71

       

      303,200

       

      24,696,800

       


      (1)    Includes 27,538 shares received from employees and non-employee directors to pay taxes owed to the Company as a result of the exercise of stock options or the delivery of deferred stock. For information regarding the Company’s stock option plans, see Note O to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

      (2)On July 14, 2005, the Company publicly announced that the Board of Directors had authorized on that day the repurchase of up to 25 million shares of Dow common stock over the period ending on December 31, 2007.  Prior to that authorization (and since August 3, 1999 when the Board of Directors terminated its 1997 authorization which allowed the Company to repurchase shares of Dow common stock. Since that time,stock), the only shares purchased by the Company arewere those shares received from employees and non-employee directors to pay taxes owed to the Company as a result of the exercise of stock options or the delivery of stock grants. For information regarding the Company's stock option plans, see Note O to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.deferred stock.

              On July 14, 2005, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 25 million shares of Dow common stock over the period ending on December 31, 2007.


      ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

              The annual meeting of stockholders of The Dow Chemical Company was held on May 12, 2005. At that meeting, Jacqueline K. Barton, Anthony J. Carbone, Barbara Hackman Franklin, Andrew N. Liveris and Harold T. Shapiro were re-elected to the Company's Board of Directors for one-year terms to expire at the annual meeting in 2006. In addition, the terms of the following directors continued after that meeting: Arnold A. Allemang, J. Michael Cook, Willie D. Davis, Jeff M. Fettig, Keith R. McKennon, J. Pedro Reinhard, James M. Ringler, William S. Stavropoulos and Paul G. Stern.

              The following table gives a brief description of each matter voted upon at the above referenced annual meeting and, as applicable, the number of votes cast for, against or withheld, as well as the number of abstentions and broker nonvotes.

      Description of Matter

       For
       Against
       Withheld
       Abstentions
       Broker
      Nonvotes

      1. Election of Directors:          
        Jacqueline K. Barton 804,452,952 N/A 20,621,196 N/A N/A
        Anthony J. Carbone 795,403,647 N/A 29,670,501 N/A N/A
        Barbara Hackman Franklin 803,088,275 N/A 21,985,873 N/A N/A
        Andrew N. Liveris 798,048,078 N/A 27,026,070 N/A N/A
        Harold T. Shapiro 804,165,687 N/A 20,908,461 N/A N/A

      2.

       

      Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's independent auditors for 2005

       

      803,911,425

       

      15,299,911

       

      N/A

       

      5,862,812

       

      N/A

      3.

       

      Stockholder Proposal on Certain Toxic Substances

       

      48,638,499

       

      583,956,287

       

      N/A

       

      74,108,915

       

      118,370,447

      N/A—Not applicable


      ITEM 6.  EXHIBITS.

       

      See the Exhibit Index on page 40 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for exhibits filed with this report.

      37




      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      Trademark Listing

       

      The following trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company appear in this report:  ENGAGE, METHOCEL, NORDEL, STYROFOAM, TYRIN

       

      The following trademark of Ashland, Inc. appears in this report:  DERAKANE

       

      The following trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC appears in this report:  WIDESTRIKE

      The following trademark of FilmTec Corporation appears in this report:  FILMTEC

       

      The following trademark of Hampshire Chemical Corp. appears in this report:  HAMPOSYL

       

      The following trademark of Union Carbide Corporation appears in this report:  UCARPOLYOX

      38




      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      Signature

       

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of

      1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed

      on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

      THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

      Registrant

      Date: November 1, 2005

      THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
      Registrant


      Date: August 2, 2005






      /s/ FRANK H. BROD


      Frank H. Brod

      Corporate Vice President and Controller


      39




      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries

      Exhibit Index

      EXHIBIT NO.


      DESCRIPTION



      10(ee)



      A copy of the template for communication to employee Directors who are decelerating pursuant to The Dow Chemical Company Retirement Policy for Employee Directors


      23



      10

      (ff)

      Purchase and Sale Agreement dated as of September 30, 2005 between Catalysts, Adsorbents and Process Systems, Inc. and Honeywell Specialty Materials LLC.

      23

      Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation'sCorporation’s Consent.


      31(a)



      31

      (a)

      Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.


      31(b)



      31

      (b)

      Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.


      32(a)



      32

      (a)

      Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.


      32(b)



      32

      (b)

      Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

      40





      QuickLinks

      The Dow Chemical Company Table of Contents
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Income
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheets
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION, Item 1. Financial Statements. Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION, Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries PART II—OTHER INFORMATION
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Trademark Listing
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Signature
      The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries Exhibit Index