3M (MMM) has paid dividends for 99 years without interruption.

The company has paid increasing dividends for 57 consecutive years. The company’s long dividend streak makes it one of only 17 Dividend Kings – dividend stocks with 50+ years of rising dividends.

Despite its long history of success, 3M has faced headwinds recently. The strong United States dollar combined with a global growth slowdown has sent 3M stock down 14% in the past year.

The sell-off has caused 3M’s dividend yield to rise to nearly 3%. The opportunity to pick up 3M stock at ~3% yields has only come during large sell offs in the last 20 years as the company’s dividend yield history image below shows:

Note: The red line shows 3% dividend yield

Getting To Know 3M

3M is one of the largest diversified manufacturers in the world. 3M’s market cap versus its largest competitors’ market caps is shown below for comparison:

3M is the second largest publicly traded corporation in the diversified machinery industry.

3M operates in 5 segments. Each segment’s percentage of total operating income generated for 3M through the first 9 months of fiscal 2015 is shown below:

The industrial segment is 3M’s largest based on operating income. The segment produces: adhesives, abrasives, tapes for industrial purposes, filtration systems, specialty additives, auto body repair solutions, and car DIY kits.