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3M (MMM) Stock Moves -0.86%: What You Should Know

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3M (MMM - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $147.38, moving -0.86% from the previous trading session. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.21% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.33%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.49%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics had gained 2.16% over the past month. This has lagged the Conglomerates sector's gain of 4.89% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.85% in that time.

Investors will be hoping for strength from 3M as it approaches its next earnings release. In that report, analysts expect 3M to post earnings of $2.37 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 14.44%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $8.7 billion, down 1.72% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $10.23 per share and revenue of $36.08 billion. These totals would mark changes of +1.09% and +2.05%, respectively, from last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for 3M. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.89% lower. 3M currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, 3M is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 14.54. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 16.61.

Investors should also note that MMM has a PEG ratio of 1.53 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. MMM's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.33 as of yesterday's close.

The Diversified Operations industry is part of the Conglomerates sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 81, which puts it in the top 33% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.


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