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3M MMM

3M scores average on business quality (5.0 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.

Last price$159.96Oct 9, 2026
Business qualityAverage
Next earningsOct 20, 2026
Insiders, 90 daysSelling

Why it matters

  1. What 3M does

    3M manufactures industrial, safety, and consumer products, generating revenue by selling adhesives, abrasives, and filtration systems to businesses and end consumers globally.

  2. What it does best

    3M dominates industrial adhesive and abrasive markets through decades of proprietary material science patents. It achieves a gross margin of 39.4% compared to HON at 36.4%, reflecting deep engineering advantages that prevent easy replication.

  3. The main risk

    Heavy debt obligations weigh on flexibility, with total debt reaching $12.6B against $5.9B in cash. If operational cash generation falters, debt servicing leaves little room for error.

Quality, check by check

Scored against its own industry, from company filings.

ProfitabilityStrong

Operating margins sit at 20.4% and FCF margin at 15.8%, putting free cash flow generation in the top quartile of the sector at the 72nd percentile. Profitability improves as portfolio cuts take effect.

MoatStrong

Proprietary material science IP locks in global manufacturing and electronics supply chains. Its operating margin ranks in the top quartile of its sector at the 78th percentile.

GrowthSlow

Revenue grew at 1.5% to $25.2B, crawling out of a multi-year contraction phase visible in historical annual summaries. Growth remains sluggish compared to industrial peers.

Financial healthWeak

Total debt of $12.6B and an interest coverage ratio of 5.9x limit balance sheet flexibility. Free cash flow recovered to $4.0B, turning the financial profile softer.

Insiders

Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.

5 sold $4.3M outside pre-planned sales.

Our sealed record on MMM

Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.

The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.

Questions

Is MMM a good business?

3M scores average on the Cluenex quality check (5.0 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is strong, moat strong, growth slow and financial health weak.

Are insiders buying MMM?

In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 5 sold $4.3M outside pre-planned sales.

When does MMM report earnings?

Oct 20, 2026.

For members

See MMM today

  • Today's verdict on MMM, and why
  • Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
  • The exact price that would change the verdict
  • Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
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Cite this page: Cluenex, “3M (MMM)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/mmm/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.