(Reuters) - International markets and a rebound in U.S. auto and truck production lifted profits at diversified U.S. industrial companies, at least six of which beat Wall Street estimates and raised their full-year forecasts on Tuesday.

Conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N), diversified manufacturer Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW.N), bearings maker Timken Co (TKR.N), engine maker Cummins Inc (CMI.N), farm equipment company Agco Corp (AGCO.N) and filter maker Pentair Inc (PNR.N) all reported higher-than-expected first-quarter profits and said current analyst estimates are too low.

However, one manufacturer, air conditioner maker Lennox International (LII.N), posted a surprise loss, saying the housing market weakened after tax credits expired.

Other sounded upbeat about this year's prospects.

Industrial and consumer goods conglomerate 3M Co reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by sales to emerging markets, and raised its full-year profit forecast.

3M sells in some 200 countries and generates about two-thirds of its sales outside its U.S. home base, said Eric Schoenstein, co-portfolio manager of the Jensen Portfolio, which owns about 2.1 million 3M shares and counts it among its largest holdings.

"With that kind of foreign revenue base, you have a company that probably far more than anybody is taking advantage of those faster-growing economies," Schoenstein said. "As those GDP numbers continue to be better than what we're putting up here in the U.S., they're able to achieve more growth."

Emerging markets now account for more than a third of 3M sales. India sales jumped 30 percent this quarter, China and Hong Kong sales rose 27 percent and revenue from Brazil was up by a quarter.

3M posted net earnings of $1.08 billion, or $1.49 per share, compared with $930 million, or $1.29 per share a year earlier. Analysts on average expected profit of $1.44 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Sales rose 15 percent to $7.31 billion, ahead of Wall Street forecasts of $6.95 billion.

3M shares, part of the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI, rose $1.88 to $96 in premarket trading.

TRUCK MARKET REBOUND

Rebounding truck production lifted results at Illinois Tool and Cummins.

Cummins, which makes diesel engines, power generation equipment and filtration systems, reported a first-quarter profit of $343 million, or $1.75 per share, compared with $149 million, or 75 cents per share, a year earlier. Cummins shares rose 4.4 percent.

Illinois Tool Works said it expects most of its markets to remain strong for the rest of the year. Its results showed higher demand from welding equipment, helped by sales to makers of heavy machinery, while the rebound in U.S. and European auto production lifted sales in its transportation segment.

ITW earned $623.1 million, or $1.24 per share, compared with $333.8 million, or 66 cents per share a year earlier. Without a one-time tax benefit, it earned 91 cents per share, beating Wall Street forecasts by 7 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Sales rose 17 percent to $4.39 billion.

Agco, whose shares jumped 6.9 percent before the start of trading, showed the strength of demand for farm equipment in Western Europe.

The world's third-largest maker of tractors and combines, which sells its equipment under the Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Valtra and Agco brand names, reported first-quarter profit of $81.6 million, or 81 cents a share, compared with $10 million, or 10 cents a share, a year ago.

Pentair Inc reported market-beating first-quarter results, helped by solid demand for energy-efficient products and strong international sales.

The maker of water filters and electrical enclosures said net earnings from continuing operations rose to $52 million, or 51 cents per share, from $36 million, or 35 cents per share, a year earlier.

A reminder that not all is well in world economies came from heating and cooling maker Lennox. The maker of furnaces, heat pumps, fireplaces and air conditioners posted lower sales at its residential unit and reported an unexpected loss for the quarter. However, Lennox kept its full-year profit forecast unchanged.

(Reporting by Nick Zieminski in New York, Divya Sharma and Bijoy Kiyotti in Bangalore, editing by Dave Zimmerman)

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