3M vs Waste Management
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KIRA’s take AI analyst
I put 3M and Waste Management side by side, using each one’s latest annual report. Here is what stands out:
- Waste Management is the larger business, with $25.2B of revenue in fiscal 2025 against $24.9B for 3M.
- Waste Management grew revenue faster (14.2%, against 1.5%).
- 3M kept more of each dollar of sales as operating profit (18.6% operating margin, against 17.1%).
- Waste Management turned more of its sales into free cash flow (11.2% FCF margin, against 5.6%).
- 3M earned a higher return on the capital invested in it (34.2%, against 10.9%).
- Investors pay more for each dollar of Waste Management’s earnings: a P/E of 33.9x against 25.9x for 3M.
Who comes out ahead
Of the 11 measures where higher (or lower) is clearly better, how many each company leads.
3M
MMM
6/11
Operating marginNet marginReturn on capitalReturn on equityNet debt / EBITDAShare count change
Waste Management
WM
5/11
Revenue growth5-year growthGross marginFCF marginPiotroski F-score
Side by side
Best in the row
| Latest fiscal year | MMM FY25 | WM FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| Market cap | $90.7B | $96.3B |
| Revenue | $24.9B | $25.2B |
| Free cash flow | $1.4B | $2.8B |
| Net income | $3.3B | $2.7B |
| Growth | ||
| Revenue growth | 1.5% | 14.2% |
| 5-year growth | −5.0% | 10.6% |
| Share count change | −2.0% | 0.2% |
| Profitability | ||
| Gross margin | 39.9% | 40.4% |
| Operating margin | 18.6% | 17.1% |
| Net margin | 13.0% | 10.7% |
| FCF margin | 5.6% | 11.2% |
| Return on capital | 34.2% | 10.9% |
| Return on equity | 76.1% | 29.7% |
| Balance sheet | ||
| Net debt | $6.7B | $22.0B |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.1x | 3.1x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $4.8B | $1.3B |
| Valuation & quality | ||
| P/E | 25.9x | 33.9x |
| Piotroski F-score | 5 | 6 |
Ten years
Revenue
Operating margin
Free cash flow
Return on capital
Each company's latest fiscal year; fiscal years end in different months. The best value in each row is highlighted where higher (or lower) is clearly better. Not investment advice.