3M's Mucho Macho Man

Comment: Screen shot from Facebook page

What analysts are saying about 3M at the Derby

Excerpt:

A former 3M employee owns a racehorse scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby on May 7. 3M sells equine products. The horse's name is Mucho Macho Man or MMM. The marketing aspects are too good to pass up and 3M didn't. The company signed an exclusive sponsorship deal with the horse's owner for all three Triple Crown races.

But what do analysts think? The Daily Racing Form gave him 12-to-1 odds. Today's Racing Digest wrote of MMM: "He is a large, long-striding horse who likes to race on or near the lead and he has a strong mid-race move. Mucho Macho Man overcame adversity in the Louisiana Derby while taking third place despite running without a shoe.'' Our $2 bet -- 3M helps Mucho Macho Man keep his shoes on and MMM finishes strong.

More on:

Mucho Macho Man’s story almost beyond belief

Horse Racing Nation profile

3M reports ... stock dives

MMM Q3 2010 Earnings Call Transcript

3M calls growth in US and Europe 'uninspiring'

3M Co. said Thursday that growth in the U.S. and Western Europe is "uninspiring," and it continues to shift more of its business to faster moving emerging markets.

3M also said it doesn't see signs of a broad double-dip recession.

"More than a year ago we forecast economic growth would slow in 2010 in some of our markets," CEO George Buckley said in a conference call. "Some folks disagreed with us, thinking that perhaps we were being too conservative. But I think things have played out largely the way we anticipated and the trend is no longer a surprise."

The St. Paul, Minn., manufacturer still predicts a long recovery for U.S. commercial construction, but it said automotive markets are getting stronger.

The company lowered the top end of its forecast for the year, citing the impact of several recent acquisitions. Shares lost $5.61, or 6.2 percent, at $84.76 in afternoon trading.

3M is considered a key indicator of broader economic health because it makes everything from Post-Its to respirators. 3M also produces over 1,000 products for cars and roads; including abrasives and paint finishings, all-weather pavement markings and sheeting for reflective signs.

Comments: MMM

• Stock dives $ 6 today
  
• I still regard MMM as a buy! A solid dividend stock
  
• I'm still up by $ 6 over my purchase price of $ 78