(Adds share reaction, analysts in paragraph 4-6)

April 25 (Reuters) - Sweden's Essity reported first-quarter core earnings above expectations on Thursday as the hygiene product maker continued to focus on boosting its volumes and market share.

Its adjusted quarterly earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) rose 12% from a year earlier to 4.9 billion Swedish crowns ($450.86 million), surpassing the 4.45 billion crowns expected by analysts polled by LSEG.

"Our focus as we move forward remains on growing volume and gaining market share with good profitability," Chief Executive Magnus Groth said in a statement.

Shares in the company rose 3.4% at market open, paring some gains to trade 1.25% higher at 0721 GMT in a largely unchanged market.

JP Morgan said the higher than expected EBITA was positive, but said pricing woes affecting consumer goods makers, amid rising costs and weaker consumer spending, could weigh on the company's outlook.

"Pricing in consumer goods should be a worry at a time of potential rebound in costs," the broker said.

Adjusted EBITA margin rose to 14.0%, marking its sixth consecutive quarterly margin increase, Essity said, as it reported higher margins for all business areas.

Essity has been growing its margins over the past year at the expense of falling volumes, a trend it has said it is starting to reverse as it intensifies sales and marketing activities.

Excluding restructuring and exited contracts, volumes increased 0.6% in the quarter.

(Reporting by Elsa Ohlen, additional reporting by Marie Mannes, Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Eileen Soreng and Himani Sarkar and Miral Fahmy)