REFILE-UPDATE 1-Kimberly-Clark sales up; interest expense

(Refiling to delete redundant reference to Kleenex and Huggies products in 3rd paragraph) (Recasts, adds forecast)

CHICAGO, April 22 (Reuters) - Kimberly-Clark Co (KMB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a 10 percent rise in quarterly sales on Tuesday, helped by price increases and growth in emerging markets, and earnings before one-time items were slightly better than expected.

Net income for the marker of Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers fell, however, on higher interest expense as the company funded a share repurchase.

First-quarter net profit was $440.9 million, down from $452 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose to $1.04 from 98 cents because of a decline in shares outstanding.

Excluding restructuring costs, earnings were $1.08 a share. The company had forecast $1.05 to $1.08 a share.

Sales rose to $4.81 billion from $4.39 billion a year earlier. The weak dollar helped lift the value of overseas sales.

Analysts' average forecast was for earnings of $1.07 a share before one-time items on sales of $4.74 billion.

Like many consumer products companies, Kimberly-Clark has raised prices to help offset rising commodity costs.

Kimberly-Clark stood by its full-year forecast for earnings of $4.45 to $4.60 a share before restructuring costs.

Its shares closed at $64.03 on Monday on the New York Stock exchange. (Reporting by Brad Dorfman; editing by John Wallace)