3M Company Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

3M Company MMM announces its next round of earnings this Tuesday, October 25, 2011. Here's Benzinga's advanced look at 3M Company's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of $1.61/share and revenues of $7.78 billion. 3M Company's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $1.53/share on revenues of $6.87 billion. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if 3M Company falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$1.60	$1.43	$1.27	$1.51
EPS Actual	$1.60	$1.49	$1.27	$1.53

Stock Performance:

As of October 19, 2011, 3M Company's current share price was $77.70. Shares are down 8.3% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has declined by 11.9%. Given that these returns are generally negative, long-term shareholders are probably a little upset going into this earnings release.

• Long-term shareholders are already wary of 12-month losses prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for 3M Company is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has crept upwards over the past three months.

Competitors:

Looking for a sympathy stock to trade or interested in the performance of other companies in the same sector? Take a look at some of 3M Company's peers.

• Carlisle Companies CSL: Moderate Buy with a $0.87 recent quarter EPS
• E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company DD: Moderate Buy with a $1.37 recent quarter EPS
• Danaher DHR: Moderate Buy with a $0.69 recent quarter EPS
• General Electric Company GE: Moderate Buy with a $0.33 recent quarter EPS

The diversified operations company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: 3M is a global manufacturer, technology innovator, and marketer of a variety of products.

Take Action:

Now that you have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming 3M Company earnings report has any surprises. Also, come back to Benzinga after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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