3M (NYSE:MMM) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

3M (NYSE:MMM) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The conglomerate reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.12, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.61 billion. 3M had a net margin of 14.01% and a return on equity of 123.11%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.19 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from 3M’s conference call:

• 3M reported a strong third quarter, with 3.3% organic sales growth, adjusted operating margin up 110 basis points to 26.2%, adjusted EPS up 12% to $2.50, and $1.2 billion of free cash flow. Orders rose about 7% and backlog increased in the high teens, supporting confidence in fourth-quarter growth above 4%.
• The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.10–$9.15 while maintaining expectations for more than 3.5% organic growth, approximately 24.6% adjusted operating margins, and $4.8 billion of free cash flow. Management also expects to exceed its 25.4% Investor Day margin target in 2027, driven by productivity and transformation savings.
• Growth is increasingly supported by industrial, safety, semiconductor, aerospace, and data-center demand, as well as new products and pricing execution. 3M expects 350 or more new product launches this year, while its Amazon strategic agreement and GSEO manufacturing partnership could accelerate adoption of its expanded-beam optical technology for AI infrastructure.
• Consumer electronics remained weak, declining at a mid-teens rate, particularly in LCD displays and among China-based OEMs, while auto markets were also soft. Consumer sales were flat because retailer inventory reductions offset improving point-of-sale trends, and oil inflation rose to an estimated $185 million, requiring additional pricing actions to offset the pressure.

3M Price Performance

3M stock opened at $174.36 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.92 billion, a PE ratio of 25.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.99. 3M has a 52 week low of $139.34 and a 52 week high of $184.90. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $169.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $161.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.01.

3M Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 24th were given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. 3M’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Karin Chavez sold 3,635 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.51, for a total value of $663,423.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 14,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,561,527.85. The trade was a 20.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

3M News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting 3M this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings exceeded expectations: Third-quarter adjusted EPS was $2.50, above the $2.38 consensus, while revenue of approximately $6.6 billion was essentially in line with forecasts. Profit increased year over year, supported by industrial strength, productivity improvements and margin expansion. 3M Reports Q3 2026 In Line With Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 outlook was raised: 3M now expects adjusted EPS of $9.10-$9.15, above the previous outlook and the $8.95 analyst consensus. Revenue guidance remains $25.4 billion, in line with expectations. 3M Raises 2026 Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: AWS collaboration strengthens the growth narrative: Amazon Web Services is investing in 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical technology for data-center infrastructure. The broader relationship, including warrants linked to potential data-center sales, gives investors additional exposure to AI-related infrastructure spending. 3M and AWS Collaborate on Optical Connectivity
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support improved: JPMorgan raised its price target to $191 from $185 and upgraded 3M to “overweight,” citing the stronger outlook and growth initiatives. New-product sales were also reported to be up 34% year to date. JPMorgan Raises 3M Price Target

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on MMM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on 3M from $185.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on 3M in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $195.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded 3M from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of 3M in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of 3M from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, 3M currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $185.36.

About 3M

3M is a diversified technology and manufacturing company headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, it developed from a mining venture into a global enterprise known for applying materials science and engineering to a broad range of industrial, commercial and consumer applications.

The company develops and manufactures products including adhesives, abrasives, filtration systems, personal protective equipment, medical and dental supplies, electrical and electronic materials, automotive components, reflective materials and workplace safety solutions.