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.



In 2009, 3M is changing its annual stock option and restricted stock unit grant date to more closely align the award with the timing of the Company’s performance review process. In 2009 and forward, under the annual grant, 3M will grant shares in February instead of May as in previous years. Accounting rules requires recognition of expense under a non-substantive vesting period approach, requiring compensation expense recognition when an employee is eligible to retire. 3M employees in the United States are eligible to retire at age 55 and after having completed five years of service. Approximately 25 percent of the stock-based compensation award expense dollars are for this retiree-eligible population. Therefore, in 2006, 2007 and 2008 the second quarter of each year (because of the May grant date) reflected higher stock-based compensation expense than the other quarters. In 2009, the retiree-eligible impact will shift to the first quarter of 2009. In addition, both the first and second quarter of 2009 will reflect accelerated stock-based compensation expense related to the earlier February grant date. These and other factors result in a first quarter 2009 estimate of $0.08 per diluted share for stock-based compensation expense compared to $0.04 in the first quarter of 2008. In the second quarter of 2009 estimated stock-based compensation is estimated at $0.04 per diluted share compared to $0.06 in the second quarter of 2008. Refer to Note 16 for additional discussion of the Company’s stock-based compensation programs.

 

During 2008 the funded status of the Company’s global pension plans declined from 100 percent to 85 percent. As of December 31, 2008, the U.S. pension plans’ funded status was 89 percent with the qualified plan at 92 percent, and the international plans at 75 percent. By utilizing an effective hedging strategy for both fixed income and equity investments, the Company was able to limit the decline in U.S. pension plan’s assets to a negative 13.6% return in 2008, much better than the overall market. In 2009, the Company expects to contribute an amount in the range of $600 million to $850 million to its U.S. and international pension plans. The Company does not have a required minimum pension contribution obligation for its U.S. plans in 2009. The changes in 3M’s defined benefit pension and postretirement plans’ funded status, which are required to be measured as of each year-end, significantly impacted several balance sheet line amounts at December 31, 2008. In the fourth quarter of 2008, these required annual measurements decreased prepaid pension benefits’ assets by $1.7 billion, increased deferred taxes within other assets by $1.1 billion, increased pension and postretirement benefits’ long-term liabilities by $1.7 billion and decreased stockholders’ equity (reflected after taxes) by $2.3 billion. Other pension and postretirement changes during the year, such as contributions and amortization, also impacted these