Bernstein Upgrades 3M to Market Perform from Underperform
Fintel reports that on September 25, 2026, Bernstein upgraded their outlook for 3M (NYSE:MMM) (BMV:MMM) from Underperform to Market Perform. This action follows Bernstein's prior action on July 22, 2026, when the firm maintained its Underperform rating on the stock.
On the same day, September 25, 2026, Wells Fargo initiated coverage on 3M with an Equal-Weight rating. This was one of 2 same-day rating actions, which also included Bernstein's upgrade, resulting in 1 upgrade and 1 initiation of coverage for the session.
3M Company, based in the United States, operates globally in the conglomerate sector with a focused expansion in the fields of industry, worker safety, healthcare, and consumer goods. The company's portfolio includes the Post-it brand and Scotch-Brite cleaning products. In its regulatory filings, the company submitted a Form 8-K on August 19, 2026, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, reporting an earliest event date of August 17, 2026.
In its latest earnings report on July 21, 2026, 3M reported an actual EPS of 2.4, which was above the estimate of 2.2677, representing a surprise of +5.83%. Actual revenue was $6,500,000,000.00, compared to the estimated $6,468,850,222.00. The company's upcoming earnings date is scheduled for October 19, 2026.
The stock's latest close on September 25, 2026, was $169.50, following a pre-action close of $167.52 on September 24, 2026. This latest close represents a one-week price change of +2.18% from the baseline close of $165.89 on September 18, 2026, and a one-month price change of -5.50% from the baseline close of $179.37 on August 25, 2026.
Separately from Bernstein's individual rating, the broader analyst consensus target mean as of September 15, 2026, was $185.73, with a median of $193.80, representing an implied change of +9.57%. This is a revision of +0.87% from the prior consensus target mean of $184.13 as of August 28, 2026. The current recommendation period as of September 1, 2026, showed a total of 24 recommendations, consisting of 4 strong buy, 9 buy, 9 hold, 1 sell, and 1 strong sell ratings, representing 54.2% positive, 37.5% hold, and 8.3% negative recommendations. In the prior period as of August 1, 2026, there were 23 total recommendations, with 56.5% positive, 34.8% hold, and 8.7% negative ratings, consisting of 5 strong buy, 8 buy, 8 hold, 1 sell, and 1 strong sell.
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Analyst | Prior | Latest recommendation | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2026 | Bernstein | Underperform | Market Perform | upgrade |
| September 25, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Equal-Weight | initiated coverage |
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.