3M is committed to exiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025 and discontinuing the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025. This strategic decision will likely impact future product offerings and supply chains.

3M is continuing to make progress on the Health Care business spin-off, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024. This strategic move will result in two separate public companies.

The company is undergoing a global business transformation, including restructurings, to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. This includes workforce restructuring and changes to the corporate center.

Management's actions to settle the PWS and CAE litigation resulted in significant charges that negatively impacted the company's operating income and diluted earnings per share.

Management is utilizing various tools, such as continuous improvement, to improve productivity and reduce expenses. This includes workforce restructuring and streamlining operations.

Management is focused on adapting to evolving customer needs and service expectations, which is important for winning new business and enhancing revenue and 3M's brand.

The company faces significant liabilities related to certain fluorochemicals (PFAS), including litigation, regulatory actions, and remediation costs, which could have a material adverse effect on its results.

The company faces risks related to the proposed class-action settlement to resolve claims by public water systems regarding PFAS and the settlement to resolve all litigation and alleged claims involving the CAE sold or manufactured by the Company's subsidiary Aearo Technologies, including whether the settlements will be approved, whether the number of plaintiffs that opt out will exceed expectations, and the impact of the settlements on other PFAS-related matters.

The company's information technology systems, networks, and infrastructure are susceptible to cyberattacks, which could disrupt operations, compromise proprietary information, and expose the company to numerous expenses and liabilities.

Demand for the company's products is affected by competitive products, pricing strategies, changes in customer order patterns, and changes in customer preferences.

The company's growth is largely dependent on the timing and market acceptance of new product offerings, which is subject to difficulties in product development and market acceptance.

The company's future results are subject to vulnerability with respect to materials and fluctuations in the costs and availability of purchased components, raw materials, energy, and labor due to shortages, supply chain interruptions, and other factors.

Workforce restructuring activities are impacting business groups, functions, and geographies, and the structural reorganization is expected to reduce the size of the corporate center, simplify supply chain, and streamline 3M's geographic footprint.

The company is utilizing various tools, such as continuous improvement, to improve productivity and reduce expenses, and is engaging in ongoing global business transformation.

Operational challenges, including those related to customer service, pace of change and productivity improvements, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.

3M continues to invest in a range of R&D activities from application development, product and manufacturing support, product development and technology development aimed at disruptive innovations.

The company's growth objectives are largely dependent on the timing and market acceptance of its new product offerings, including its ability to continually renew its pipeline of new products and to bring those products to market.

The company's ability to bring new products to market is subject to difficulties or delays in product development, such as the inability to identify viable new products, obtain adequate intellectual property protection, or gain market acceptance of new products.

The company expects 2024 capital spending to be approximately $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion as 3M continues to invest in growth, productivity and sustainability.

The company purchased $33 million of its own stock in 2023, compared to $1.5 billion of stock purchases in 2022.

The company typically declares and pays dividends in the same quarter, and declared a first-quarter 2024 dividend of $1.51 per share, an increase of 1 percent.

The company places consistent emphasis on environmental responsibility and has made, and plans to continue making, necessary expenditures for compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Capital projects for environmental purposes include waste reduction and pollution control programs such as water usage reduction and water quality improvement equipment, scrubbers, containment structures, solvent recovery units and thermal oxidizers.

3M cannot predict with certainty whether future costs of compliance with government regulations (including environmental regulations) will have a material effect on its capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.

The company's results are impacted by worldwide economic, political, regulatory, international trade, geopolitical, and other external conditions, including military conflicts and trade restrictions.

The company's results of operations and its ability to realize projected growth rates in sales and earnings could be adversely affected if the U.S. dollar strengthens significantly against foreign currencies.

Climate change and severe weather events, including related environmental and social regulations, as well as natural disasters, may negatively impact the Company or its customers and suppliers, in terms of availability and cost of natural resources, sources and supply of energy, product demand and manufacturing, compliance costs, and the health and well-being of individuals and communities.