3M Raises Full-Year Guidance After Second-Quarter Growth
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3M reported second-quarter 2026 sales of $6.5 billion, up 2.4% year over year, with organic sales increasing 2.3%.
Adjusted sales were also $6.5 billion, up 5.5%, while adjusted organic sales increased 5.4%. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.40, an 11% increase from $2.16 in the prior-year quarter.
GAAP earnings per share increased 33% to $1.78. The company reported a GAAP operating margin of 15.1%, down 290 basis points, and an adjusted operating margin of 24.9%, up 40 basis points.
Special items during the quarter included $0.44 per share in net costs associated with significant litigation and the company’s exit from PFAS manufacturing. The comparable amount was $0.79 per share in the second quarter of 2025.
Operating cash flow totaled $1 billion, while adjusted free cash flow reached $1.3 billion.
Following its first-half performance, 3M increased its full-year adjusted earnings guidance from $8.50-$8.70 per share to $8.80-$8.95. The company now expects adjusted total sales growth above 4.5%, adjusted organic sales growth above 3.5% and adjusted operating cash flow of $5.8 billion-$6 billion.
Because 3M supplies coatings, adhesives, films and abrasives used across industrial finishing and manufacturing, its results provide a broader indicator of demand across those markets. The PFAS-exit costs also illustrate how chemical portfolio transitions can continue affecting financial performance after operational changes begin.
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