Dow Chemical DOW is the biggest U.S. chemical maker by sales, offering a vast range of chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services. As the company’s products are used in almost every industry, its results put a spotlight on end market scenario and demand trends for chemical products across a bevy of industries.Dow is leveraging its North American feedstock advantage and is investing billions of dollars for setting up crackers that produces ethylene from ethane. The company is also aggressively pursuing its productivity and growth actions as well as its cost-reduction initiatives. Moreover, Dow continues to seek opportunities to optimize its portfolio by selectively divesting underperforming assets and gradually shift focus to high-growth markets.Let’s have a quick look at this chemical behemoth’s first-quarter 2016 release.Estimate Trend & Surprise HistoryInvestors should note that the earnings estimate for Dow for the first quarter has seen an uptrend over the past month. Dow has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing 4 quarters with an average beat of 18.37%. Investors have been eagerly awaiting Dow’s latest earnings report to see whether it continues the winning streak.EarningsDow logged adjusted earnings of 89 cents per share that topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 83 cents.RevenuesDow raked in net sales of $10,703 million, down roughly 13% year over year. That, however, beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10,478 million.Key Stats/Developments to NoteDow sees sustained momentum in consumer driven end-markets moving ahead. It expects strong demand in North America and gradual recovery in Europe and will remain committed to operational, commercial and project execution to deliver value to customers and boost shareholder returns.Zacks RankDow currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which testifies its sustained outperformance on the earnings front.Market ReactionDow’s shares were inactive following the release. It would be interesting to see how the market reacts to the results during the trading session today.Check back later for our full write up on Dow’s earnings report!Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report DOW CHEMICAL (DOW): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research