A Boring But Beautiful Dividend Machine

It’s almost the Dow Jones‘ forgotten stock. At more than $99 a share, 3M (NYSE:MMM) is the third-most important stock in the price-weighted blue-chip average. And, with its sprawling portfolio of brands and materials sold in almost every corner of the globe, the conglomerate is a bellwether for demand in everything, from transportation to healthcare to consumer electronics.

Furthermore, 3M is a payout champion. It has delivered a dividend since 1916 and has increased its annual cash dividend every year for more than a half a century — earning it a place on InvestorPlace’s list of Dependable Dividend Stocks. 3M’s stock has delivered market-beating returns over the last 52 weeks — and gone almost vertical in the past three months — but it’s hardly gotten ahead of itself on a relative valuation basis. Meanwhile, Wall Street forecasts solid earnings growth when the company reports quarterly numbers Thursday, helped by a small uptick in revenue and fatter margins.

Source: InvestorPlace

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