3M Gears Up to Report Q2 Earnings: What Lies Ahead for the Stock?

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3M Gears Up to Report Q2 Earnings: What Lies Ahead for the Stock?

3M Company MMM is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 21, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMM’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $6.38 billion, indicating growth of 3.6% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $2.27 per share, which increased 1.3% in the past 60 days. The figure indicates growth of 5.1% from the year-ago quarter's figure.

The company delivered better-than-expected results in each of the trailing four quarters, the earnings surprise being 4.6% on average. In the last reported quarter, its earnings of $2.14 per share beat the consensus estimate of $2.02 by 5.9%.

Let’s see how things have shaped up for 3M this earnings season.

Factors to Note Ahead of MMM’s Q2 Results

3M’s Safety and Industrial segment’s results are expected to perform well, driven by strength across personal safety, industrial adhesives and tapes, abrasives and electrical markets. Stable demand for electrical infrastructure products like medium voltage cable accessories and insulation tapes is likely to have been a tailwind as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $3.03 billion, indicating approximately a 6.1% increase from the year-ago number.

Solid momentum in the aerospace and defense, commercial branding and automotive markets is likely to have supported 3M‘s Transportation and Electronics segment’s performance. Also, strength in the commercial branding and automotive markets, driven by demand for new products and expanding sales coverage, is proving beneficial for the segment as well.

Healthy demand across the home and auto care business is expected to have benefited the Consumer segment’s performance in the second quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues from the Consumer segment is pegged at $1.29 billion, indicating an increase of 1.4% year over year. However, persistent weakness in the packaging and expression and home improvement businesses is likely to mar the segment’s results.

Nevertheless, 3M has undertaken structural reorganization actions that include streamlining its geographic footprint, simplifying the supply chain and optimizing manufacturing operations. These actions are expected to have supported margins in the to-be-reported quarter.

However, MMM’s performance has been negatively impacted by high costs and expenses.  The company’s solid investments in research and development (R&D) are expected to have pushed up its operating expenses.

3M Company Price and EPS Surprise

3M Company Price and EPS Surprise

3M Company price-eps-surprise | 3M Company Quote

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for MMM this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here, as elaborated below. 

Earnings ESP: MMM has an Earnings ESP of +0.76% as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.29 per share, higher than the Most Accurate Estimate of $2.27. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: 3M presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in this reporting cycle.

Crane Company CR has an Earnings ESP of +4.73% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 28.

Crane’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 11.3%.

Ingersoll Rand Inc. IR has an Earnings ESP of +0.61% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.

Ingersoll Rand’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters while matching the mark in two, the average surprise being 2.4%.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. ITW has an Earnings ESP of +0.31% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 28.

Illinois Tool’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 2.8%.

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3M Company (MMM): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Ingersoll Rand Inc. (IR): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Crane Company (CR): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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