Given the tumultuous events in April, it's easy to forget that 3M (MMM -5.11%) stock is actually up on the year; at least, it is at the time of writing! That's due to an impressive first-quarter performance of 13.8%, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
3M (MMM 0.13%) stock has had a wild ride. After years of litigation surrounding its multi-decade production of PFAS -- deemed "forever" chemicals that wreak havoc on the health of both exposed humans and ecosystems -- shares finally found a bottom last year.
3M's (MMM -1.49%) CEO Bill Brown recently gave a presentation at the JPMorgan Industrial Conference, and his remarks contained some mixed news for investors. However, on balance, they were positive for long-term investors.
3M Company (NYSE:MMM ) JPMorgan 2025 Industrials Conference March 11, 2025 8:15 AM ET Company Participants Anurag Maheshwari - CFO Bill Brown - CFO Conference Call Participants Steve Tusa - JPMorgan Steve Tusa All right. Moving along here, we have 3M, CFO, Anurag Maheshwari; as well as CEO, Bill Brown.
At a glance, it's understandable that 3M's (MMM -4.93%) recent investor day didn't produce a significant move in the stock price. The industrial conglomerate's three-year targets were solid enough but not sufficiently inspiring to encourage investors to significantly upgrade medium-term expectations.
Dividend Kings are an elite group of companies. These are stocks that pay a dividend, but have increased the payout for 50 years or more.
The market for 3M NYSE: MMM stock is on fire, with shares rising by 7% in the final week of February and 65% in the preceding 12 months, and there is more upside ahead. The strong technical indicators point to a move to $175, possibly higher by midyear.
3M (MMM 3.06%) was once considered a stable blue chip stock, but major problems weighed down its shares in recent years. The diversified conglomerate struggled with sluggish sales in a chilly macro environment, safety-related recalls, and thousands of lawsuits related to its production and dumping of harmful chemicals.
MMM plans to achieve above-market organic sales growth and return at least $10 billion in cash to shareholders by 2027.
MMM is making strides in the transportation, roofing granules and electrical markets, which makes the stock worth a watch amid certain headwinds.
MMM's reversal is already here, thanks to the SOLV divestiture bringing forth a more focused portfolio and healthier balance sheet. This is on top of the resolution of its legal headwinds, as management also pursues insurance recovery and $340M already completed. The management has driven new growth opportunities through its legacy businesses and new product launches as well, despite certain market softness.
3M (MMM 0.51%) soared by an impressive 17.9% in January, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The move comes as the market continues to warm to CEO Bill Brown's plans to rejuvenate the company's long-term growth rate and improve its operational performance.