Equities research analysts at Hilliard Lyons started coverage on shares of 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage set a “neutral” rating on the stock.

In other news, VP Marlene Mary Mcgrath sold 9,126 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.26, for a total value of $1,453,406.76. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 10,198 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,624,133.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on MMM. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on 3M from $156.00 to $147.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Bank of America cut their price target on 3M from $181.00 to $178.00 in a report on Friday, October 16th. RBC Capital cut their price target on 3M from $141.00 to $138.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on 3M from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Credit Suisse lifted their price objective on 3M from $155.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $157.27.

Other hedge funds and institutional investors have added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First American Trust acquired a new position in 3M during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Hollencrest Securities boosted its position in 3M by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Hollencrest Securities now owns 1,779 shares of the company’s stock valued at $268,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its position in 3M by 40.0% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $273,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. Vicus Capital boosted its position in 3M by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Vicus Capital now owns 1,849 shares of the company’s stock valued at $279,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Founders Capital Management boosted its position in 3M by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the period.

3M (NYSE:MMM) traded down 1.64% during trading on Monday, reaching $148.53. The company had a trading volume of 725,503 shares. 3M has a 12 month low of $134.00 and a 12 month high of $170.50. The company has a market capitalization of $90.50 billion and a P/E ratio of 19.59. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $145.78 and its 200-day moving average is $149.00.

3M (NYSE:MMM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 26th. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.03. The company earned $7.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.21 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that 3M will post $8.23 earnings per share for the current year.

3M Company is a diversified technology company. The Company operates in five business segments: Industrial, which serves a range of markets, such as automotive original equipment manufacturer (NYSE:MMM) and automotive aftermarket, electronics, appliance, paper and printing, packaging, food and beverage, and construction; Safety and Graphics, which serves a range of markets for the safety, security and productivity of people, facilities and systems; Electronics and Energy, which serves customers in electronics and energy markets, including solutions for electronic devices, telecommunications networks, electrical products, power generation and distribution, and infrastructure protection; Health Care, which serves markets that include medical clinics and hospitals, pharmaceuticals, dental and orthodontic practitioners, and health information systems, and Consumer, which serves markets that include consumer retail, office retail, home improvement, building maintenance and other markets.

12 Month Chart for NYSE:MMM

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