DuPont

posted a jump in first-quarter profit and revenue on Wednesday as higher pricing offset cost increases and currency losses.

The company posted net income of $1.49 billion, or $1.57 per share, compared with $1.43 billion, or $1.52 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding payments to customers of DuPont's Imprelis herbicide, which damaged certain trees, the company earned $1.61 per share.

The company affirmed its 2012 earnings forecast for $4.20 to $4.40 per share.

Sales rose 12 percent to $11.3 billion.

DuPont's results often serve as a barometer for the global economy since its products are used to produce a range of consumer goods, from toys and toothbrushes to smartphones and solar panels.

(Reporting By Ernest Scheyder in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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