Is It Safe? 3M's Steady, But Not Sexy

"Is It Safe?" is a daily feature by TheStreet.com Ratings that looks at a company's risk-and-reward potential. Find out if your stocks are safe each morning at 4.

When businesses and consumers cut spending during a recession, industrial companies feel the pain more than most. As demand grinds to a halt, investors tend to dump their shares.

3M(MMM Quote), however, has weathered the weak economy better than its peers. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company's shares have dropped 17% in the past year, less than the 33% decline for the industrial sector.

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