The sleeping monster? The story of 3M

$MMM the sleeping monster? 😴

The story of 3M (MMM) ❤️

If you heard about a company that produces everything, from bandages to space components, you might expect an innovative, technological, dazzling name. 💎

But the name is actually simple and old: 3M – an acronym for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. Yes, a company that started with mineral mining and over the years became a multidisciplinary industrial monster, touching almost every area of modern life. ✔️

The thousand-headed beast – 3M's areas of activity ✨

3M's strength lies precisely in its simplicity: it does not specialize in one product, but develops and manufactures over 60,000 different products, spread across countless industries. 💎

Here's a taste of the worlds it cultivates: 🌐

1️⃣ Health and medicine: N95 masks, dental products, smart medical bandages, hospital adhesion systems.

2️⃣ Transportation and industry: durable adhesive tapes, automotive sensors, fire and heat damage protection systems.

3️⃣ Everyday consumer goods: Post-it notes, Scotch tape, cleaning sponges – everything in the home stationery drawer.

4️⃣ Electronics and communication: conductive materials, frequency filters, robotics components, and assembly accessories.

5️⃣ Infrastructure and safety: personal protective equipment, anti-slip coatings, smart road traffic detection systems.

In short?

If there's something in the world – there's a good chance 3M has a part in it. 🥊

When the wind in the sails weakens – a financial review 🦈

Since 2018, 3M stock has been going through a challenging period:

Revenue remained relatively stable around $30-35 billion per year, but growth slowed, and the company lost the dynamic pace of advanced industrial companies. 🚗

Profit margins eroded due to numerous lawsuits (including environmental and health-related), which led to sharp declines in the stock's value in recent years. 🔽

In 2023, the company announced the spin-off of its healthcare division into a separate company named Solventum – a move designed to sharpen business focus and reduce legal risk.✔️

The stock (MMM) fell over 60% from its peak in 2017 until November 2023 and, in the eyes of many, transformed from a "quality company" to a "story of deep correction." ⛔️

But…

Then around November 2023, the change arrived ⭐️

The stock rose over 110% between November 2023 and February 2025... 📈

(Disclosure: I bought the stock at the end of January 2024).

Might it be interesting again? 👀

In the last month, the stock fell about 20%.. ⚠️

📊 Pay attention to the fundamentals 📊

• The forward price to earnings ratio is relatively low
• A huge and stable dividend (rarely – for more than 60 consecutive years!).

- And an industrial machine that can surprise again and again with smart and applied innovation – all these could turn this sleeping monster into a particularly interesting value option for the near future. 👑

The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results today, which include growth in adjusted revenue, double-digit growth in earnings per share, and growth in operating profit as well 📈

In addition, the company distributed $1.7 billion in dividends 🪙

The CEO said: "We focused on improving the business fundamentals and building a new performance culture — and that is evident in the results."

- The stock is up over 8% as of this moment 🔼

While 3M is not a dazzling startup – it is a quiet industrial hero, operating under the radar but touching every part of life. 💡

$MMM stock, we continue to follow 👀