Medline vs 3m (MDLN vs MMM)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
Medline is the larger company by revenue ($28.4B vs $24.9B). 3m carries the larger market value ($87.8B vs $47.2B). 3m runs the higher operating margin (18.6% vs 7.8%). 3m trades at the lower trailing P/E (30.2x vs 43.9x).
About Medline
Medline Inc. is a provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving various healthcare settings such as hospitals, surgery centers, and physician offices. The company offers approximately 335,000 products, including surgical kits, gloves, wound care items, and diagnostic equipment, through its Medline Brand and Supply Chain Solutions segments. Medline operates a network of global distribution centers and its own fleet of trucks to deliver products and supply chain services to healthcare providers.
About 3m
3M Company is a diversified technology firm operating globally in three main segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, and Consumer. It manufactures a wide range of products including abrasives, adhesives, personal safety equipment, electronic materials, home care items, and office supplies. The company serves various markets such as industrial, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and consumer goods through multiple distribution channels worldwide.
Head to head (MDLN FY2025 vs MMM FY2025)
| Metric | MDLNFY2025 | MMMFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $28.43B | $24.95B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | 1.5% |
| Gross margin | 26.4% | 39.9% |
| Operating margin | 7.8% | 18.6% |
| Net margin | 4.1% | 13.0% |
| Net income | $1.16B | $3.25B |
| Diluted EPS | $-0.01 | $6.00 |
| FCF margin | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| ROE | 6.0% | 68.5% |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.65× | 2.30× |
| Market cap | $47.24B | $87.80B |
| P/E | 43.9× | 30.2× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (MDLN FY2025, MMM FY2025). ROE is net income over fiscal-year-end equity; long-term debt / equity counts non-current term debt only. P/E and market cap are derived from stored market prices, last retrieved on a rolling basis and typically within the past week.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| MDLN by fiscal year | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $23.23B | $25.51B | — | $28.43B |
| Net income | $234.0M | $1.16B | $1.15B | $1.16B |
| Operating margin | 5.4% | 8.4% | — | 7.8% |
| MMM by fiscal year | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $35.35B | $26.16B | $24.61B | $24.57B | $24.95B |
| Net income | $5.92B | $5.78B | $-7.00B | $4.17B | $3.25B |
| Operating margin | 20.8% | 16.7% | -43.4% | 19.6% | 18.6% |
Medline and 3m use different fiscal calendars (MDLN's FY2025 ended 2025-12-31, MMM's FY2025 ended 2025-12-31), so their fiscal years are shown separately rather than forced into one timeline.
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 88 medical device companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | MDLN | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 26.4%3rd percentile of 77 | 39.9%17th percentile of 77 |
| Operating margin | 7.8%66th percentile of 80 | 18.6%89th percentile of 80 |
| Net margin | 4.1%66th percentile of 81 | 13.0%84th percentile of 81 |
| FCF margin | 4.6%63rd percentile of 74 | 5.6%66th percentile of 74 |
| ROE | 6.0%65th percentile of 79 | 68.5%97th percentile of 79 |
| P/E | 43.9×77th percentile of 32 | 30.2×55th percentile of 32 |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.65×60th percentile of 54 | 2.30×85th percentile of 54 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 3.83d57th percentile of 88 | 3.72d55th percentile of 88 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | MDLN | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 36.2M | 9.6M |
| Change vs prior settlement | +4.7% | -3.3% |
| Days to cover | 3.83 | 3.72 |
| As of settlement | 2026-08-14 | 2026-08-14 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 activity (codes P/S) | MDLN | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | 1 ($170,750) | 0 |
| Sells | 8 ($161.9M) | 5 ($4.3M) |
Non-derivative purchases (code P) and sales (code S) reported on SEC Form 4, which may be open-market or private (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 15% of covered companies saw any reported insider purchase (code P) in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
6 tracked 13F managers hold both Medline and 3m as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel Advisors, Gotham Asset Management, Millennium Management, Two Sigma Investments. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
Go deeper
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.