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The company also said it expects to meet analysts' fourth-quarter earnings estimates and raised its full-year forecast.

Third-quarter net income rose almost 22 percent to $663 million, or 83 cents a share, from $545 million, or 69 cents, a year earlier. Per-share amounts have been adjusted for a recent two-for-one stock split.

That beat analysts' estimates which had ranged from 78 cents to 81 cents a share, with an average estimate of 79 cents, according to Reuters Research, a unit of Reuters Group Plc.

"This will probably be viewed as a sign the economic recovery is accelerating," said John Roberts, an analyst with Buckingham Research.

Roberts noted that 3M's consumer-oriented businesses were stronger in the quarter than those linked more closely to the industrial sector.

Shares of 3M rose to $75 in pre-market trading on Instinet from their close at $74.05 on the New York Stock Exchange (News - Websites) on Friday.

Sales increased 11.4 percent to $4.62 billion from $4.14 billion, with increases in six of its seven businesses. The weaker U.S. dollar boosted worldwide sales figures by 3.9 percent.

Within the United States, sales rose 3.7 percent to $1.99 billion.

International sales increased 18.0 percent to $2.63 billion. Sales-volume gains were strongest in the Asia-Pacific area, up 22.3 percent, and Latin America, up 21.2 percent.

3M's display and graphics business, which includes a film that boosts brightness on cell phone and flat-panel displays, turned in the strongest performance among its divisions. Sales volume in that division rose 33.6 percent, with about 12 percent of that coming from acquisitions, the company said.

Safety, security and protection services increased sales volume by 9.3 percent, while health care, the company's largest business, boosted its sales volume by 6.8 percent.

The consumer and office unit, which includes Post-It notes and Scotch tape, boosted sales volume by 5.0 percent.

The only business to record lower sales volume was electro and communications, which has been hit for some time by the downturn in the telecommunications market.

Looking ahead, 3M said it expects fourth-quarter earnings to be between 73 and 75 cents a share.

Analysts' fourth-quarter estimates ranged from 72 to 75 cents, with an average of 73 cents, according to Reuters Research.

For the full year, 3M now expects to earn between $3.05 and $3.07 per share before items, or $2.98 to $3.00 per share including items, during 2003.

The company had previously estimated 2003 earnings, before a recent two-for-one stock split, at $5.90 to $6.05 a share excluding items, or about $2.95 to $3.03 a share post-split.