Lower costs should lift future profits

Article Excerpt

3M COMPANY $93 is a buy for long-term gains. The diversified manufacturer (New York symbol MMM; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 552.3 million; Market cap: $51.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 6.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.3m.com) reported 0.3% lower revenue in the three months ended December 31, 2023, down to $7.69 billion from $7.72 billion a year earlier. Stronger demand from automotive customers offset weaker sales of safety masks, healthcare products and home improvement items. If you exclude unusual items, including costs to settle class action lawsuits related to earplugs and PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), earnings rose 11.0%, to $2.42 a share from $2.18. To spur its long-term earnings, the company continues to cut jobs and sell surplus real estate. The plan should reduce its annual costs by $700 million to $900 million by the end of 2025. 3M is a buy. buy…