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3M CO

MMM
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Business Summary

3M is a diversified technology company with a global presence in the Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, and Consumer businesses. The Company is among the leading manufacturers of products for many of the markets it serves, and most 3M products involve expertise in product development, manufacturing and marketing, subject to competition from products manufactured and sold by other technologically oriented companies. 3M manages its continuing operations in three business segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, and Consumer, which bring together common or related 3M technologies, enhancing the development of innovative products and services and providing for efficient sharing of business resources.

3M's competitive positioning is supported by its broad portfolio of brands and technologies, including 3M Cubitron Abrasives, Scotch-Brite Abrasives, 3M VHB Tape, 3M Scotchlite Reflective Materials, 3M DBI-Sala Fall Protection, 3M Scott Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, 3M Peltor Protection & Communication, Scotchgard Protector, Thinsulate Acoustic Insulation, 3M Diamond Grade DG3 reflective sheeting, Filtrete HVAC air filters, Command adhesive hooks, Meguiar's car wash, Scotch tape, Post-it stick notes, and Nexcare bandages. The Company's products are sold through numerous distribution channels, including directly to users and through a wide range of e-commerce and traditional wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors, and dealers in many countries around the world. Management believes that the confidence of these partners in 3M and its products, developed through long association with skilled marketing and sales representatives, has contributed significantly to 3M's position in the marketplace and to its growth.

3M generates revenue through the sale of a wide variety of products across its three business segments. The vast majority of 3M's customer arrangements contain a single performance obligation to transfer manufactured goods, with revenue recognized when control of goods transfers to customers, generally at a point-in-time when goods or services are delivered. The Company's revenue is primarily transactional in nature, with no material recurring revenue streams described in the filing. Primary customer segments include industrial, automotive, electronics, consumer, and safety markets globally.

The Safety and Industrial business segment, representing 45.6% of consolidated sales, includes divisions such as Abrasives, Automotive Aftermarket, Electrical Markets, Industrial Adhesives and Tapes, Industrial Specialties Division, Personal Safety, and Roofing Granules. Representative products include industrial abrasives and finishing for metalworking applications, autobody repair solutions, electrical products and materials for construction and maintenance, structural adhesives and tapes, respiratory/hearing/eye and fall protection solutions, and natural and color-coated mineral granules for shingles. In 2025, Safety and Industrial sales were $11,384 million , with business segment operating income of $2,836 million and an operating income margin of 24.9% . The Transportation and Electronics business segment, representing 33.2% of consolidated sales, includes Advanced Materials, Automotive and Aerospace, Commercial Branding and Transportation, and Electronics. Representative products include advanced ceramic solutions, attachment/bonding films for vehicles, premium large format graphic films, reflective signage, light management films, electronics assembly solutions, chip packaging and interconnection solutions, semiconductor production materials, and solutions for data centers. In 2025, Transportation and Electronics sales were $8,272 million , with business segment operating income of $1,436 million and an operating income margin of 17.4% . The Consumer business segment, representing 19.7% of consolidated sales, includes Consumer Safety and Well-Being, Home and Auto Care, Home Improvement, and Packaging and Expression. Representative products include cleaning products for the home, consumer air quality products, picture hanging accessories, retail abrasives, paint accessories, safety products, stationery and office products, automotive appearance products, and consumer bandages, tapes, braces and supports. In 2025, Consumer sales were $4,920 million , with business segment operating income of $996 million and an operating income margin of 20.2% .

In February 2025, 3M's Board of Directors replaced the Company's 2018 repurchase program with a new repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $7.5 billion of 3M's outstanding common stock, with no pre-established end date. In 2025, the Company purchased $3.3 billion of its own stock. In June 2025, 3M completed the sale of its fused silica business for immaterial proceeds slightly below the business's book value. In September 2025, 3M agreed to sell its precision grinding and finishing business, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026. In 2025, 3M recorded a pre-tax charge of $159 million for the initial excess of its carrying value over its selling price less cost to sell and subsequent changes therein related to this business. 3M completed its exit of PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025. In August 2025, 3M sold a portion of its holdings in Solventum for proceeds of $0.6 billion . In 2025, 3M issued $1.1 billion in aggregate principal amount of debt and had $1.8 billion in aggregate principal amount of debt maturities. Cash dividends declared and paid totaled $0.73 per share for each quarter of 2025. In February 2026, 3M's Board of Directors declared a first-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.78 per share , an increase of 7 percent.

In 2025, 3M reported net sales of $24,948 million , compared to $24,575 million in 2024, representing total sales change of 1.5% . GAAP operating income margin was 18.6% in 2025, compared to 19.6% in 2024. GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations were $6.00 in 2025, compared to $7.26 in 2024, a decrease of 17% . Adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations were $8.06 in 2025, compared to $7.30 in 2024, an increase of 10% . Net cash provided by operating activities was $2,306 million in 2025, compared to $1,819 million in 2024. The Company had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $5.9 billion as of December 31, 2025, compared to $7.7 billion as of December 31, 2024.

Business Outlook

3M's growth vectors include several market trends and opportunities identified by management across its business segments. In Safety and Industrial, key opportunities include personal safety, connected bodyshop, grid modernization, and robotics and automation. In Transportation and Electronics, growth vectors include automotive electrification, data center solutions, extended reality, semiconductor solutions, graphic and architectural films, and aerospace and defense solutions. In Consumer, growth opportunities include home improvement, home cleaning, stationery, office supplies, automotive appearance, and consumer health care. The Company continues to invest in a range of R&D activities from application development, product and manufacturing support, product development and technology development aimed at disruptive innovations, with R&D spending reflecting the Company's continued focus on innovation through growth investments and new product introduction.

Outside of special items, both GAAP and adjusted operating margins reflect benefits from growth, productivity, and lower restructuring costs, partially offset by growth investments and tariff impacts. Additionally, margins year-on-year were impacted by cost dis-synergies from the exit of PFAS manufacturing and the 2024 spin of Solventum, by transition service agreement reimbursement from Solventum which began in the second quarter of 2024, and by the lower extent of stock-based compensation grants. The Company expects 2026 capital spending to be approximately $1.1 billion as 3M continues to invest in growth, productivity and sustainability.

3M completed its exit of PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025. The Company will continue to take actions to address PFAS manufactured prior to the exit, including water treatment assets at facilities that manufactured PFAS to treat PFAS from historical manufacturing activities and remediate residual PFAS in waste streams. 3M also will continue to work through the disposition of its assets and its interests in manufacturing facilities, which may include dismantling, cleaning and repurposing, and other dispositions of facilities or equipment. The Company continues to make investments in the implementation of new business systems and solutions, including enterprise resource planning, with the amortization relating to these investments impacting cost of sales, SG&A, and R&D. As of December 31, 2025, the Company employed approximately 60,500 people (full-time equivalents), with approximately 22,500 employed in the United States and 38,000 employed internationally.

In 2025, 3M invested $0.9 billion on property, plant and equipment. The Company expects 2026 capital spending to be approximately $1.1 billion . In February 2025, 3M's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $7.5 billion of 3M's outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $4.6 billion remained available under the authorization. Cash dividends declared and paid totaled $0.73 per share for each quarter of 2025. In February 2026, 3M's Board of Directors declared a first-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.78 per share , an increase of 7 percent. For the primary U.S. qualified pension plan, the expected long-term rate of return for 2026 is 8.0 percent . In 2026, the Company expects to contribute an amount in the range of $100 million to $150 million of cash to its U.S. and international retirement plans.

Structural headwinds and execution risks management explicitly flagged include the impact of worldwide economic, political, regulatory, international trade, geopolitical, tariffs and retaliatory counter measures, and other external conditions. During 2025, the Company derived approximately 56 percent of its revenues from outside the United States. Further escalation of specific trade tensions, including those between the U.S. and China, or more broadly in global trade conflict, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operations around the world. The Company also faces risks related to liabilities associated with certain fluorochemicals known as PFAS, including the PWS Settlement where 3M will pay $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion in total to resolve claims by public water suppliers, with payments to be made from 2024 through 2036. Additionally, the Company faces risks related to the CAE Settlement, where 3M will contribute a total amount of $6.0 billion between 2023 and 2029.

Risk Factors

The Company faces material risks related to liabilities associated with certain fluorochemicals known as PFAS, including the PWS Settlement where 3M will pay $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion in total to resolve claims by public water suppliers, with payments to be made from 2024 through 2036. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had recorded liabilities of $7.7 billion for other environmental liabilities, the majority of which relate to PFAS-related legal proceedings. The Company also faces risks related to the CAE Settlement, where 3M will contribute a total amount of $6.0 billion between 2023 and 2029. Through December 31, 2025, 3M has paid $8.2 billion in aggregate relating to these settlements. Additionally, the Company's results are impacted by the effects of worldwide economic, political, regulatory, international trade, geopolitical, tariffs and retaliatory counter measures, and other external conditions, with approximately 56 percent of revenues derived from outside the United States. The Company also faces risks related to the separation of Solventum, including that the anticipated benefits may not be realized and that the Company is now a smaller, less diversified company.

Management Priorities

Management's message emphasizes the Company's focus on operational execution, portfolio management, and capital allocation. The overview highlights that net sales change was driven by strength in safety and general industrial and supported by commercial excellence and new product introductions, partially offset by known softness in auto aftermarket, roofing granules, commercial vehicles, and consumer, and the year-on-year impact of the manufactured PFAS products special item. Management notes that GAAP operating margins were affected by the year-on-year impact of special items, primarily including an increase in net costs for significant litigation from the 2025 PFAS-related New Jersey Settlement and updates to site remediation obligations, partially offset by increased insurance recoveries, manufactured PFAS products impacts, a 2025 charge associated with divestiture activity, and 2025 transformation costs. Outside of special items, both GAAP and adjusted operating margins reflect benefits from growth, productivity, and lower restructuring costs, partially offset by growth investments and tariff impacts. Management also notes that GAAP EPS year-on-year was affected by the net impact of special items, including the year-on-year impact of the change in value of Solventum ownership, a $0.8 billion pre-tax pension settlement charge in 2024, and the year-on-year impact of imputed interest associated with obligations resulting from significant litigation. Outside of special items, both GAAP and adjusted EPS reflect the impact of the other operating income items, as well as a 2025 gain on the sale of an investment and the impact of lower share count, partially offset by higher non-operating net interest expense and pension expense.

View Source Annual Report on SEC.gov ↗

References

  1. [1] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
  2. [2] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
  3. [3] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
  4. [4] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
  5. [5] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
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  8. [8] Item 7, MD&A — Performance by Business Segment
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  10. [10] Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity — Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
  11. [11] Item 7, MD&A — Cash Flows from Financing Activities
  12. [12] Item 8, Note 4 — Divestitures
  13. [13] Item 7, MD&A — Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
  14. [14] Item 7, MD&A — Cash Flows from Financing Activities
  15. [15] Item 7, MD&A — Cash Flows from Financing Activities
  16. [16] Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity
  17. [17] Item 7, MD&A — Dividends Paid to Shareholders
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  23. [23] Item 8, Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss)
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  26. [26] Item 7, MD&A — Certain amounts adjusted for special items
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  32. [32] Item 7, MD&A — Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
  33. [33] Item 7, MD&A — Cash Flows from Investing Activities
  34. [34] Item 1, Business — Human Capital
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Analysis on 6/11/2026