With a record $25.3 billion in 2008 sales, 3M turns out such nifty items as Post-it notes, Scotch cellophane tapes and Thinsulate insulation, among thousands more. Tuesday, the 107-year-old St. Paul company said that it's hiking its quarterly common payout for the 51st straight year. The one-cent boost brings the rate to 51 cents a share, producing a 4.13% yield. Disbursement will take place March 12 to holders of record Feb. 20. The stock goes ex-dividend Feb. 18. 3M has been making payouts without interruption since 1916. "By increasing our dividend during this period, we are clearly communicating our confidence in the fundamentals of our company and in 3M's ability to continue providing solid returns to our shareholders," said chief executive George W. Buckley. Over the past five years, 3M has returned $17.6 billion to its investors via dividends and stock buybacks. 3M also extended its $7 billion share-repurchase authorization, which was to have expired this month but is now open-ended to accommodate a balance of $2.6 billion. However, buybacks have been temporarily suspended in view of what 3M called its "current emphasis on maintaining ample liquidity and enhancing balance-sheet strength."

n St. Louis, Sigma-Aldrich, a leader in the $10 billion worldwide market for research chemicals, raised its quarterly dividend to 14.5 cents a share from 13 cents. Holders of record March 2 will get the new payout March 16; the ex-date is Feb. 26. Dividends have been paid since 1970 and enriched for 28 years in a row. Yield: 1.49%. There are 7.7 million shares remaining in the company's current buyback program, but it said that "the timing and number of shares purchased, if any, depend upon market conditions." Sigma-Aldrich forecast a 2009 profit equal to or slightly greater than the $2.65 a share it earned in 2008 on record sales of $2.2 billion..

The largest utility system in New England, Northeast Utilities (NU) powered up its quarterly common dividend last Tuesday by 11.8%, to 23.75 cents a share from 21.25 cents. The payment, record and ex dates are March 31, March 1 and Feb. 25. Dividends have been paid since 1999, boosted every year, and this one translates into a 3.93% yield. "We believe this dividend policy will position us to effectively access capital so that we can continue making the necessary investments in New England's energy infrastructure to better serve our customers," said CEO Charles W. Shivery. He added that the payout increase is consistent with the company's November announcement that in 2009, it would begin to target disbursing some 50% of its earnings to investors via common dividends. In writing about the company Jan. 20, Barron's Online reporter Teresa Rivas noted that Northeast is benefiting from needed transmission upgrades in its region, and that it will likely profit from the new administration's environmental consciousness.

Dow Chemical (Barron's, Feb. 2) slashed its never-before-cut quarterly common dividend Thursday 64%, to 15 cents a share from 42 cents. The company (DOW) has been making payouts since 1912.