Stock Research

Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) manufactures chemicals, plastic materials, agricultural and services, and other specialized products and services. It delivers a range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries to growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. The Company operates 214 manufacturing sites in 37 countries. Dow operates in eight business segments: Electronic and Specialty materials, Coatings and Infrastructure, Health and Agricultural sciences, Performance systems, Performance products, Basic plastics, Basic chemicals, and Hydrocarbons and Energy. The Company is also engaged in the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance business primarily through its Liana Limited subsidiaries. Dow Chemical is composed of six operating units: performance plastics, performance chemicals, agricultural sciences, basic plastics, basic chemicals and hydrocarbons & energy.

Dow is not reliant on any single set of customers--with 37% of its revenue coming from the United States, 36% from Europe and 27% from the rest of the world, the company is instead unusually dependent on the strength of the global economy. Thus, Dow is not prone to wild fluctuations in value--its diversification makes it largely immune to local or even national slumps. For instance, reduced demand for Dow products due to a housing slump in the United States may be offset by an increased demand for Dow products in emerging markets worldwide.

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