Shares of 3M Co. (NYSE:MMM) lost nearly 6 percent today after the conglomerate reported a 1.6 percent profit slide for the third quarter and slashed its sales and earnings guidance for 2011.

3M reported profits of $1.09 billion, or $1.52 per share, on sales of $7.53 billion. That’s a top-line increase of 9.6 percent compared with Q3 2010. Wall Street analysts expected $1.61 per share for the latest quarter.