Nuplex expects to lift its operating profit to between $130 million and $145 million or by between 2.8% and 14.7% for the year ending next June.
The resins and chemicals company made an operating profit of $126.4 million the previous year.
Nuplex says the forecast assumes recent trading conditions and current exchange rates will continue.
Chief executive Emery Severin told the annual shareholders meeting that achieving the bottom or top end of that forecast will depend on trading conditions in Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Mr Severin says Nuplex expects modest growth in New Zealand as construction activity improves here.
He says the housing market in Australia is also showing signs of improvement but that will take time to translate into a consistent boost in demand for the company's products.
Mr Severin says the manufacturing sector in Australia seems to have stabilised for the first time in several years and so Nuplex is expecting that market to be flat this year.
In Europe, recent economic data is encouraging and the recovery in the United States is continuing.
Asian growth is expected to continue and the company is also expecting sales growth from new products.
