MMM's mundane 
marginal gains?

Can it reset growth culture?
Beset by $Bn+ PFAS claims

3M the once mighty innovation machine's sales volume picked up marginally in Q3'26. Demand in safety, industrial, transport & electricals.was positive boosted by higher prices, but consumer/office was down. Complacent CEO Bill Brown claimed "We delivered a strong Q2, exceeding expectations with mid-single-digit sales growth". No real evidence yet after 2 poor years? Full analysis here, first from 1100ET tmrw

Bunzl's baffling
growth strategy?

Tiny acquis'ns activity. Flat 
volume lifted by price rises 

Bunzl, the $15Bn international business supplies distributor will report disappointing results for Q3'26 tomorrow. Real volume trends are flat especially in US/EU markets. CEO Frank van Zanten in Q2 commented complacently  "We delivered a strong performance with growth in all regions led by North America". Really? Full analysis here, first...from 0400ET tmrw

Ron Books back
at ECI Software 

CEO Gruenewald retires
Veteran legend returns!

ECI Software Solutions, the leading management software house in the business supplies industry, has re-appointed Ron Books as CEO from 26'Oct'26. Trevor Grunewald who succeeded will retire after 18 years with the company. Welcome back Ron! Full story here, first...

Staples removal?
Who's gonna buy?

Vulture Sycamore's fire
sale to power mkt leader?

Vulture capitalist Sycamore Partners having destroyed US #1 OP wholesaler Essendant; offloaded Boots from Walgreen; will now concentrate on selling rundown Staples? Moreover, no success in selling off its retail division, so will it now look for a buyer of the business supply division? We speculate on which resourceful buyers may be interested? Updated complete

UK's G7 economic
lead set to intensify

UK sits 3rd behind China/USA
in driving innovative start-ups

UK chancellor, John Healey, will present his budget next week and doing so against a backdrop of conflicting signals. "He must launch a radical shake-up of the cost of doing business" writes Simon French, Panmure Gordon. "Free up entrepreneurs with a 'do-no-harm budget' to inspire the process". Full story here, first...

3M Multi 'Forever
Chemicals' cases?

PFAS Water liabilities $12Bn;
EarPlugs $6Bn.New $1.4Bn?

Once mighty 3M plans to challenge the legal basis of Australia’s $1.4Bn lawsuit over PFAS contamination linked to its firefighting foam, arguing that the claim is not legally sustainable. Will these huge claims anchor 3M's already receding innovation; and stalled growth even further? Full story here.first...

JBHunt: High prices
hide slow demand?

Higher fuel costs stoke double

digit price increases & profits 

JBHunt the $14Bn US transportation giant reported slower results in Q3'26 as volumes slowed and price increases soared. Intermodel and Integrated Solutions were very strong whilst final mile services were down seriously. CEO Shelley Simpson seemed determined to regain lost market share in a flat market? Full analysis here, first...complete

On rocks Xerox,
readying a wake?

500 channel partners attend
Summit. Is it 'Too late baby'?

Xerox Corp sales continued in freefall with Q2'26 sales down -63% over the last 10yrs. Efforts to turnaround the tailspinning old tech giant have failed. It is holding 2026 Global Partner Summit in Nashville, with 500 partners from 70 countries. Have they gathered for a wake of the dinosaur? Full story here, first...

International Paper
fragmenting f a s t?

Paper div sold, buys DSSmith;
Splits NA&EU. Now EMEA sale?

International Paper the ex-#1 paper/packaging maker, completed the $7Bn acquisition of European packaging leader DSSmith in Jan'25.  In Jan'26 it announced plans to split US and EMEA operations. Now, it wants to offload its EMEA packaging business? Meanwhile, whilst it's shifting deckchairs, the core business is losing market share? Full story here, first...

K-C loses share in
soft hygiene mkt

Personal Care,Tissue+Pro
steady. US & Intnl weaker

Kimberly-Clark (K-C) the $16Bn global personal hygiene brandmaker, will report declining volumes in Q3'26 on 5Nov. Complacent CEO Mike Hsu commented "Our model is accelerating our transformation while sustaining the momentum of our brands" No positive results to date? Full report analysis here, first...