3M profit rises 6 percent, sales up across businesses

(Reuters) - 3M Co posted a 6 percent rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by broad sales growth across the U.S. manufacturer's range of businesses. The company, whose products include Post-it notes and films for electronic devices, said second-quarter net income rose to $1.27 billion, or $1.91 per share, from $1.2 billion, or $1.71 per share, a year ago. Profit matched the $1.91 per share average estimate of analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose 4.9 percent to $8.13 billion, ahead of the $8.09 billion expected by analysts. The company backed its full-year forecast for earnings in a range of $7.30 to $7.55 per share on sales growth of 3 percent to 6 percent. Analysts are looking for $7.46 per share in earnings for the year. Through Wednesday, 3M shares had climbed 3 percent this year, in line with the increase for the Dow Jones industrials average <.DJI>. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Franklin Paul and Bernadette Baum)