Wells Fargo & Company Boosts 3M (NYSE:MMM) Price Target to $165.00
by Michael Walen · The Markets Daily3M (NYSE:MMM – Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $160.00 to $165.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the conglomerate’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 12.64% from the company’s current price.
Several other research firms have also issued reports on MMM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $182.00 price target on shares of 3M in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of 3M from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Mizuho set a $160.00 price target on shares of 3M in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of 3M from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of 3M from $181.00 to $171.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, 3M currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $170.27.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on 3M
3M Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE:MMM traded down $1.99 on Wednesday, reaching $146.48. 1,230,818 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,990,713. The company has a fifty day moving average of $154.27 and a 200-day moving average of $160.32. 3M has a twelve month low of $134.85 and a twelve month high of $177.41. The company has a market capitalization of $76.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.41, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30.
3M (NYSE:MMM – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The conglomerate reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.16. 3M had a net margin of 13.03% and a return on equity of 95.36%. The firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.88 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 3M has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.500-8.700 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that 3M will post 8.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other 3M news, CAO Theresa E. Reinseth sold 5,145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total value of $888,798.75. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,585 shares in the company, valued at $446,558.75. This trade represents a 66.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Trading of 3M
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. L & S Advisors Inc boosted its position in 3M by 32.2% in the third quarter. L & S Advisors Inc now owns 58,316 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $9,049,000 after buying an additional 14,204 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in 3M by 806.1% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 314,460 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $50,345,000 after buying an additional 279,757 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. boosted its position in 3M by 21.9% in the third quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 39,000 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,052,000 after buying an additional 7,000 shares in the last quarter. Allstate Corp acquired a new stake in 3M in the third quarter valued at approximately $3,087,000. Finally, First Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in 3M in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $828,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.25% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting 3M
Here are the key news stories impacting 3M this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat and margin improvement — 3M reported adjusted EPS of $2.14 (above consensus), operating margin expansion and confirmed FY2026 guidance (EPS 8.50–8.70), which underpins near-term valuation and cash‑flow expectations. 3M Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $170 (from $160) and kept a Hold — that implies meaningful upside versus current levels and signals some analyst confidence in the company’s margin recovery and guidance. Jefferies Adjusts 3M Price Target
- Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank trimmed its target to $171 (from $181) but kept a Hold — a downgrade in target magnitude but still above the stock, producing mixed signaling rather than a clear sell/upgrade case. Deutsche Bank Adjusts 3M Price Target
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage highlights productivity gains and strategic moves amid mixed growth signals — useful context for investors evaluating whether cost actions can sustain margins if organic growth stays modest. MMM Q1 deep dive
- Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target to $133 and assigned an Underperform — a clear bearish signal that implies near‑term downside and likely contributed to selling pressure. RBC Trims Price Target on 3M
- Negative Sentiment: Earlier Citi (and other brokers) trimmed targets ahead of Q1, which keeps a cloud over sentiment despite the beat — multiple modest downgrades raise the risk of further analyst mark‑downs if organic growth disappoints. Citigroup Lowers 3M Price Target
3M Company Profile
3M Company, originally founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is a diversified global technology and manufacturing firm headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Over its history the company has expanded from mineral mining into a broad portfolio of industrial, safety, healthcare and consumer products, building a reputation for applied science and product innovation across many end markets.
3M’s businesses span a wide range of product categories including adhesives and tapes, abrasives, filtration and separation technologies, personal protective equipment such as respirators, medical and dental products, industrial and automotive solutions, and a suite of consumer brands (for example, well-known office and home products).