$4.6 billion of 3M common stock remained available for repurchase under the current authorization. In February 2012, 3M’s Board of Directors authorized a dividend increase of 7.3 percent for 2012, marking the 54th consecutive year of dividend increases for 3M. 3M’s debt to total capital ratio (total capital defined as debt plus equity) was 25 percent at both December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, compared to 30 percent at December 31, 2009. 3M has an AA- credit rating with a stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s and an Aa2 credit rating with a stable outlook from Moody’s Investors Service. The Company has significant cash on hand and sufficient additional access to capital markets to meet its funding needs.

 

In 2011, the Company experienced cost increases in most raw materials and transportation fuel costs. This was driven by higher basic feedstock costs, including petroleum based materials, metals, minerals and woodpulp-based products. To date the Company is receiving sufficient quantities of all raw materials to meet its reasonably foreseeable production requirements. It is impossible to predict future shortages of raw materials or the impact any such shortages would have. 3M has avoided disruption to its manufacturing operations through careful management of existing raw material inventories and development and qualification of additional supply sources. 3M manages commodity price risks through negotiated supply contracts, price protection agreements and forward physical contracts.



On a worldwide basis, 3M’s pension and postretirement plans were 82 percent funded at year-end 2011. The U.S. qualified plans, which are approximately 71 percent of the worldwide pension obligation, were 86 percent funded, the international pension plans were 87 percent funded, and the U.S. non-qualified pension plan is not funded. Asset returns in 2011 for the U.S. qualified plan were 8.7%. The year-end 2011 discount rate was 4.15%, down 1.08 percentage points from the 2010 discount rate of 5.23%. The decrease in discount rates, both U.S. and internationally, resulted in a significantly higher valuation of the projected benefit obligation, which reduced the plans’ funded status. The changes in 3M’s defined-benefit pension and postretirement plans’ funded status significantly impacted several balance sheet lines. These changes increased long-term liabilities by approximately $2.4 billion and decreased stockholders’ equity by approximately $1.6 billion, with the other major impact primarily related to increased deferred taxes within other assets. Other pension and postretirement changes during the year, such as contributions and amortization, also impacted these balance sheet captions.

 

3M expects to contribute approximately $800 million to $1 billion of cash to its global pension and postretirement plans in 2012, with approximately $300 million in each of the first and second quarters. The Company does not have a required minimum cash pension contribution obligation for its U.S. plans in 2012. 3M expects pension and postretirement benefit expense in 2012 to increase by approximately $89 million pre-tax, or approximately 9 cents per diluted share,