Restructuring Plan At 3M Includes 1,500 Job Cuts Amid Strong 3rd Quarter Earnings

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — 3M Co. plans to cut up to 1,500 jobs as part of a restructuring plan as it reported declines in its overall third-quarter profit and revenue, saying a stronger U.S. dollar cut into sales.

The maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics said it is cutting jobs as part of a plan to "strengthen its competitiveness." It said the move will involve cutting structural overhead in the U.S. and in slower growing markets.

3M reported a slight drop in net income to just under $1.3 billion even as a decline in shares outstanding for the latest quarter resulted in a boost in the earnings per share figure to $2.05.

Revenue, meanwhile, fell 5.2 percent to $7.7 billion.

The earnings per share results topped expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.01 per share.

Revenue fell short, with five analysts surveyed by Zacks expecting $7.9 billion. The revenue drop was a result of a stronger U.S. dollar cutting into sales throughout all of the St. Paul, Minnesota company's units.

3M expects full-year earnings in the range of $7.73 to $7.78 per share.

Its shares rose $1.23 to $151.05 in premarket trading shortly before the market open.

3M shares have decreased roughly 9 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has declined nearly 2 percent. The stock has increased slightly more than 6 percent in the last 12 months.

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