3M raises annual profit forecast, explores sale of small businesses
Updates shares, adds analyst quote in paragraph 5
By Kannaki Deka
Oct 22 (Reuters) -3M Co MMM.N raised its full-year profit forecast on Tuesday after strong demand for roofing material, industrial adhesives and electronics equipment helped the U.S. manufacturing giant surpassquarterly profit estimates.
The Scotch Tape maker also announced it was reviewing its portfolio and had initiated a sale process for "a few small businesses".
However, shares of 3M, which had initially risen after the upbeat forecast, fell 1.5% in morning trading.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Deane Dray attributed the selloff partly to a possibly longer turnaround time for the company.
"The source of the selling during the conference call was arguably the market's assessment that the turnaround at 3M is likely to be a much longer grind, encompassing multiple quarters, if not a couple years," he said.
CEO Bill Brown, who succeeded Mike Roman in May, said in July he would focus on new product development, which has lagged as the company shifted spending to mitigate legal liabilities and reduce supply-chain costs.
The Saint Paul, Minnesota-based company has posted upbeat results in recent quarters after suffering a slump in consumer demand last yeardue to high inflation and a weak China market.
To mitigate the impact from the demand slowdown, 3M initiated thousands of job cuts and spun off its healthcare business into a listed company. Investors responded by sending 3M shares up 47.5% this year.
Twoof its three main businesses had recorded organic sales increases, while its consumer business suffered from weak demand in areas such as packaging and home and auto care, 3M said on Tuesday.
The company still faces lawsuits related to water pollution claims tied to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals".
It expectsits full-year adjusted profit to be between $7.20 and $7.30 per share, compared with its previous forecast of $7.00 to $7.30 per share.
3M's third-quarter adjusted profit of $1.98 per share beat expectations of $1.90, whereas sales of $6.07 billion were slightly above expectations.
Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai
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