in the first quarter of 2010. As discussed in Note 10, during the second quarter of 2010, 3M recorded a financed liability of 1.7 billion Japanese yen (approximately $18 million based on applicable exchange rates at that time), which is also considered a non-cash investing and financing activity.

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:

  

Total debt at December 31, 2010 was $5.5 billion, compared to $5.7 billion at year-end 2009 and $6.7 billion at year-end 2008. Debt was higher at year-end 2008 as the result of a strategy to build and maintain a cash buffer in the U.S. given the difficult market environment at that point in time. Total debt was 25 percent of total capital (total capital is defined as debt plus equity) at year-end 2010, compared with 30 percent at year-end 2009, and 39 percent at year-end 2008. The net change in short-term debt is typically due to commercial paper activity. In 2010, major items in repayment of debt (maturities greater than 90 days) included repayment of $350 million in Dealer Remarketable Securities, which matured in December 2010, and repayment of a portion of debt related to the 5.8 billion Japanese Yen installment paid on September 30, 2010 (refer to Notes 6 and 10 for more detail). In addition, approximately $105 million in acquired debt related to 2010 acquisitions was subsequently repaid. In 2009, repayment of debt (maturities greater than 90 days) includes a $400 million medium-term note that matured in November 2009 and also includes repayments of commercial paper. In 2008, the repayment of debt for maturities greater than 90 days primarily represents debt acquired upon the acquisition of Aearo that was immediately repaid and repayment of commercial paper with maturities greater than 90 days. In 2010, proceeds from debt primarily include a 100.5 million Canadian Dollar loan. In 2008, proceeds from debt primarily include a five-year, $850 million, fixed rate note issued in August 2008 with a coupon rate of 4.375%, and a three-year, $800 million, fixed rate note issued in October 2008 with a coupon rate of 4.5% (refer to Note 10 for more information).

 

Repurchases of common stock are made to support the Company’s stock-based employee compensation plans and for other corporate purposes. In February 2011, 3M’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $7.0 billion of 3M’s outstanding common stock, replacing the Company’s existing repurchase program. This authorization has no pre-established end date. In 2010, the Company purchased $854 million in shares, while in 2009 purchases were minimal as the Company had no broker purchases of treasury stock. In 2008, the Company purchased $1.6 billion in shares. For more information, refer to the table titled “Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” in Part II, Item 5.

 

Cash dividends paid to shareholders totaled $1.5 billion ($2.10 per share) in 2010, $1.431 billion ($2.04 per share) in 2009 and $1.398 billion ($2.00 per share) in 2008. 3M has paid dividends since 1916. In February 2011, the Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend on 3M common stock by 4.8 percent to 55 cents per share, equivalent to an annual dividend of $2.20 per