3M Q3 2026: adjusted EPS up 12% to $2.50, guidance raised
3M's Q3 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.50 came in above the $2.41 consensus and rose 12% year on year, and management raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $9.10–$9.15. GAAP EPS of $2.63 looks even better but carries a $0.60 gain on the Solventum stake. Cash is the weak spot: operating cash flow was $0.5 billion after heavy litigation payments.
1 · Expected vs. Actual
Free preview belowGAAP EPS of $2.63 was up 70%, but $0.60 of that came from the changing value of 3M's Solventum ownership stake, a mark-to-market item rather than operations. Adjusted EPS of $2.50 rose 12% and beat the $2.41 consensus, on an adjusted operating margin of 26.2% that expanded 110 basis points. Higher margin, not higher sales, did most of the work.
Revenue of $6.58 billion rose 1.0% year on year, but reported sales understate the business because manufactured PFAS products are being exited. Adjusted sales rose 4.2% and adjusted organic sales rose 3.3%, with acquisitions adding 1.4 points. Safety and Industrial did the heavy lifting at 9.1% total growth and 7.0% organic, while Consumer slipped 0.4%.
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Figures on this page come from the company's original SEC filings. The analysis is generated automatically and checked against validation rules, but may still contain errors or omissions. Not investment advice. · Generated 2026-10-20
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