Post-it maker 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) on Tuesday reported first-quarter 2026 earnings, posting profit that topped expectations while revenue came in slightly below estimates.
Revenue and Profitability
The industrial conglomerate reported adjusted sales of $6.0 billion, narrowly missing the consensus estimate of $6.01 billion. Adjusted sales rose 3.9% year over year, while organic sales increased 1.2%.
Adjusted operating margin expanded 30 basis points to 23.8% in the quarter.
Adjusted earnings per share climbed 14% from a year earlier to $2.14, beating the Street estimate of $1.99.
3M returned about $2.4 billion to shareholders during the quarter and generated adjusted free cash flow of $500 million.
Segment Performance
Safety & Industrial posted revenue growth of 6.8% to $2.93 billion. Its adjusted operating margin rose to 26.5% from 25.5% a year earlier.
Transportation & Electronics revenue increased 1.8% to $1.85 billion, with adjusted operating margin edging up to 21.6% from 21.5%.
The Consumer segment reported a 0.6% rise in sales to $1.13 billion. Adjusted operating margin declined to 19.2% from 19.5% in the prior-year period.