3M Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results

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Today at 10:30am UTC

3M Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results

PR Newswire

  • Q1 GAAP sales of $6.0 billion, up 1.3%; operating margin of 23.2%, up 230 bps; EPS of $1.23, down 40%, all YoY
    • Adjusted sales of $6.0 billion with organic growth of 1.2% YoY
    • Adjusted operating margin of 23.8%, up 30 bps YoY
    • Adjusted EPS of $2.14, up 14% YoY
  • Q1 operating cash flow of $0.6 billion with adjusted free cash flow of $0.5 billion
  • Reiterates full-year 2026 guidance

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M (NYSE: MMM) today reported first-quarter results.

"We are executing on 3M's value creation framework to build a stronger company," said William Brown, 3M Chairman and CEO. "Our focus remains on improving execution of the fundamentals and transforming the company by simplifying and standardizing our processes and footprint and reshaping the portfolio. Together, these actions will drive structurally higher growth and stronger margin performance, while improving enterprise resilience and predictability."

Brown added, "We had a good start to the year, and despite operating in a volatile environment, we remain confident in achieving our 2026 guidance while staying committed to our long-term strategy - investing in growth, driving operational performance, and returning cash to shareholders."

First-quarter highlights:






Q1 2026


Q1 2025





GAAP EPS


$      1.23


$      2.04





Special items:









  Net costs (benefit) from significant litigation


(0.04)


0.41





  Loss on business divestitures


0.01


—





  Manufactured PFAS products


0.18


0.06





  (Increase) decrease in value of Solventum ownership


0.67


(0.63)





  Transformation costs


0.09


—





Adjusted EPS


$      2.14


$      1.88














Memo:









GAAP operating income margin


23.2 %


20.9 %





Adjusted operating income margin


23.8 %


23.5 %


  • GAAP EPS of $1.23 and operating margin of 23.2%.
  • Adjusted EPS of $2.14, up 14% year-on-year.
  • Adjusted operating income margin of 23.8%, an increase of 30 basis points year-on-year.





GAAP


Adjusted (non-GAAP)





Net sales (billions)


$6.0


$6.0





Sales change









Total sales


1.3 %


3.9 %





Components of sales change:









  Organic sales


(1.4)


1.2





  Acquisitions/divestitures


(0.1)


(0.1)





  Translation


2.8


2.8





Adjusted sales excludes manufactured PFAS products.


  • Sales of $6.0 billion, up 1.3% year-on-year with organic sales down 1.4% year-on-year.
  • Adjusted sales of $6.0 billion, up 3.9% year-on-year with adjusted organic sales up 1.2% year-on-year.
  • 3M returned $2.4 billion to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases.
  • Cash from operations of $0.6 billion.
  • Adjusted free cash flow of $0.5 billion.

Full-year 2026 guidance
3M reiterated the following full-year 2026 expectations.

  • Adjusted total sales growth1 of ~4 percent, reflecting adjusted organic sales growth1 of ~3 percent.
  • Adjusted operating income margin expansion1 of 70 bps to 80 bps.
  • Adjusted EPS1 in the range of $8.50 to $8.70.
  • Adjusted operating cash flow1 of $5.6 to $5.8 billion, contributing to >100 percent adjusted free cash flow conversion1.

1As further discussed at 4 within the "Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Measures" sections, 3M cannot, without unreasonable effort, forecast certain items required to develop meaningful comparable GAAP financial measures and, therefore, does not provide them on a forward-looking basis reflecting these items.

Conference call
3M will conduct an investor teleconference at 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT) today. Investors can access this conference via the following:

Consolidated financial statements and supplemental financial information non-GAAP measures
View the Financial Statement Information on 3M's website: https://investors.3m.com/financials/quarterly-earnings

Forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this document, as well as other filings we make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and other written and oral information we release are considered "forward-looking statements" under the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended (the "PSLRA"). Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this document and are typically identified by the words "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "can," "continue," "could," "estimate," "evaluate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "goal," "guidance," "impact," "initial," "intend," "likely," "may," "outlook," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "probable," "project," "seek," "should," "strategy," "target," "will," "would," and other words that are similar to, or have the opposite meanings, of those words.

All forward-looking statements are intended to enjoy the protection of the PSLRA's safe harbor for forward looking-statements, as well as the protections provided by other securities laws. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes it has a reasonable basis for the forward-looking statements it makes, those statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events and trends that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Changes in those assumptions, expectations, or other factors could produce materially different results. The most important risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements include:(1) worldwide economic, political, regulatory, international trade, geopolitical, tariffs, and retaliatory counter measures, capital markets, and other external conditions, (2) foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates, (3) liabilities and contingencies related to PFAS, including liabilities related to claims, lawsuits, and government regulatory proceedings concerning various PFAS-related products and chemistries, as well as risks related to the Company's exit of PFAS manufacturing and work to discontinue use of PFAS across its product portfolio, (4) risks related to the PWS Settlement to resolve claims by public water suppliers in the United States regarding PFAS, as well as risks related to ongoing PFAS-related settlements and claims, (5) legal proceedings, including significant developments that could occur in the legal and regulatory proceedings described in the Company's reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, as well as compliance risks related to legal or regulatory requirements, government contract requirements, policies and practices, or other matters that require or encourage the Company or its customers, suppliers, vendors, or channel partners to conduct business in a certain way, (6) competitive conditions and customer preferences, (7) the timing and market acceptance of new product and service offerings, (8) the availability and cost of purchased components, compounds, raw materials and energy due to shortages, increased demand and wages, tariffs, supply chain interruptions, or natural or other disasters, (9) unanticipated problems or delays when implementing new business systems and solutions, including with the phased implementation of a global enterprise resource planning system, or security breaches and other disruptions to the Company's information or operational technology infrastructure, (10) use of artificial intelligence technologies, (11) the impact of acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and other strategic events resulting from portfolio management actions and other evolving business strategies, (12) operational execution, including the extent to which the Company can realize the benefits of planned productivity improvements, as well as the impact of organizational restructuring activities, (13) financial market risks that may affect the Company's funding obligations under defined benefit pension and postretirement plans, (14) the Company's credit ratings and its cost of funding, (15) tax-related external conditions, including changes in tax rates, laws, or regulations, (16) matters relating to the Company's Aearo Entities, Combat Arms Earplugs Settlement, and related products, and (17) matters relating to the spin-off of Solventum, the Company's former Health Care business, into an independent public company.

Those risks, uncertainties, and other factors are further described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. For additional information concerning factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's forward-looking statements, see the Company's reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K filed with the SEC from time to time.

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news.

Please note that the company announces material financial, business and operational information using the 3M investor relations website, SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The company also uses the 3M News Center and social media to communicate with our customers and the public about the company, products and services and other matters. It is possible that the information 3M posts on the News Center and social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, the company encourages investors, the media and others interested in 3M to review the information posted on 3M's News Center and the social media channels such as @3M or @3MNews.

Contacts
3M
Investor Contact:
Diane Farrow, 612-202-2449
Media Contact:
3MNews@mmm.com

3M (PRNewsfoto/3M)

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