3M (NYSE:MMM) Shares Down 7.5% – Here’s Why

3M Company (NYSE:MMM)’s share price was down 7.5% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $154.52 and last traded at $155.2170. Approximately 3,174,555 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average daily volume of 3,069,368 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.80.

Key 3M News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS beat and margin improvement — 3M posted adjusted EPS of $1.83 (above the $1.80 street estimate) and reported a significant improvement in adjusted operating margins and year‑over‑year adjusted EPS growth, signalling better profitability execution. 3M’s Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash flow and capital returns — Q4 adjusted free cash flow (~$1.3B) and active buybacks (about $900M in the quarter) support share repurchases and dividend restoration over time. 3M Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: CEO endorsement and long‑term view — Public praise from commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) and bullish long‑term commentary highlight confidence in management’s turnaround plan. Jim Cramer on 3M’s CEO
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance roughly in line but lacks excitement — FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.50–8.70 (midpoint ~8.60) and revenue guidance near $25.3B sit close to consensus, giving the market little upside catalyst. Company Guidance (press materials)
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed segment and regional performance — Industrial/Industrial-adjacent businesses showed strength while Transportation and Consumer lagged; this unevenness makes near‑term organic growth uneven. Segment Divergence Detail
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slight miss and investor disappointment — Reported revenue was a touch below some estimates (and GAAP sales/operating margin dynamics showed pressure), prompting a selloff as investors focused on the modest growth trajectory and lack of new catalysts. 3M tops Q4 estimates but 2026 outlook sends shares lower
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction — Analysts and market commentary flagged the guidance as underwhelming relative to expectations, which drove high‑volume selling despite the EPS beat. Expect near‑term volatility as investors digest segment-level details and guidance cadence. 3M Stock Sinks as Profit Forecast Disappoints

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MMM shares. Morgan Stanley set a $160.00 target price on 3M and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of 3M from $176.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of 3M from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $182.00 price target on shares of 3M in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of 3M from $160.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $175.80.

3M Stock Down 6.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.54, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $166.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $159.62. The firm has a market cap of $83.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.09.

3M (NYSE:MMM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The conglomerate reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.03. 3M had a return on equity of 98.47% and a net margin of 13.70%.The company had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.03 billion. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. 3M has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.50-8.700 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that 3M Company will post 7.8 earnings per share for the current year.

3M Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. 3M’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.65%.

Insider Activity at 3M

In other news, EVP Mark W. Murphy sold 19,061 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.55, for a total value of $3,174,609.55. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,594 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,098,230.70. This represents a 74.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Zoe L. Dickson sold 13,826 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.78, for a total transaction of $2,347,378.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,162 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,046,184.36. The trade was a 69.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 46,516 shares of company stock worth $7,836,465. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On 3M

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MMM. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in 3M by 806.1% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 314,460 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $50,345,000 after acquiring an additional 279,757 shares during the period. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. bought a new stake in shares of 3M in the second quarter worth approximately $21,009,000. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new position in shares of 3M during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,594,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in 3M by 17.0% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 265,360 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $40,398,000 after purchasing an additional 38,501 shares during the period. Finally, BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments purchased a new stake in 3M in the second quarter worth approximately $4,103,000. 65.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

3M Company Profile

3M Company, originally founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is a diversified global technology and manufacturing firm headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Over its history the company has expanded from mineral mining into a broad portfolio of industrial, safety, healthcare and consumer products, building a reputation for applied science and product innovation across many end markets.

3M’s businesses span a wide range of product categories including adhesives and tapes, abrasives, filtration and separation technologies, personal protective equipment such as respirators, medical and dental products, industrial and automotive solutions, and a suite of consumer brands (for example, well-known office and home products).