UPDATE 3-Clariant sees slow rebound after surprise Q3 profit
* Q3 net profit 25 mln Swiss francs, vs forecast loss 19 mln
* Confirms expects drop in full-year sales
* Says demand has bottomed, but no sustainable recovery yet
* Shares rise 2 percent
(Adds shares, comment)
By Sam Cage
ZURICH, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Swiss specialty chemicals maker Clariant (CLN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a surprise net profit in the third quarter helped by cost cuts and falling raw materials prices, and said demand for its products had bottomed out.
Clariant, which makes pigments for products from textiles to cars, still expects a sales fall of 16-20 percent in local currencies for 2009 and said on Wednesday it could make a net loss in the fourth quarter.
"We can see that demand has already bottomed out, but there is still no sign of a sustainable recovery," chief financial officer Patrick Jany told reporters. Continued...
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