3M Increases Dividend for the 54th Consecutive Year

3M Increases Dividend for the 54th Consecutive Year | Bild: ©

?This increase reflects the company?s solid financial performance and our confidence in our future,? said George W. Buckley, 3M chairman, president and CEO. ?Our strong cash generation and the strength of our business model allow us to continue investing in future growth opportunities while also returning significant cash to shareholders.?

During the past five years the company returned more than $7 billion to shareholders through dividends.

As of December 31, 2011, 3M had 694,970,041 common shares outstanding and 100,896 shareholders of record.

The 3M Board of Directors also set March 9, 2012, as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking information about 3M?s financial results and estimates and business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of words such as ?anticipate,? ?estimate,? ?expect,? ?project,? ?intend,? ?plan,? ?believe,? ?will,? ?target,? ?forecast? and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance or business plans or prospects. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: (1) worldwide economic and capital markets conditions and other factors beyond the Company?s control, including natural and other disasters affecting the operations of the Company or its customers; (2) the Company?s credit ratings and its cost of capital; (3) competitive conditions and customer preferences; (4) foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; (5) the timing and acceptance of new product offerings; (6) the availability and cost of purchased components, compounds, raw materials and energy (including oil and natural gas and their derivatives) due to shortages, increased demand or supply interruptions (including those caused by natural and other disasters and other events); (7) the impact of acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and other unusual events resulting from portfolio management actions and other evolving business strategies, and possible organizational restructuring; (8) generating fewer productivity improvements than estimated; and (9) legal proceedings, including significant developments that could occur in the legal and regulatory proceedings described in the company?s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and its subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q (the ?Reports?). Changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results. A further description of these factors is located in the Reports under ?Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results? and ?Risk Factors? in Part I, Items 1 and 1A (Annual Report) and in Part I, Item 2 and Part II, Item 1A (Quarterly Report). The information contained in this news release is as of the date indicated. The company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this news release as a result of new information or future events or developments.

About 3M3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.