3M (NYSE: MMM) is one of those leading companies that investors should look towards in adverse market conditions.

The maker of many household goods such as yellow post-it notes, and packaging materials, 3M has a secure market position that should appeal to investors when the share price falls.

As with so many other stocks, that has certainly been happening in recent market action.  3M is down for the last week, month, quarter, and six months of market action (chart below).  It is also down for 2014, too.

That creates a long term buying opportunity for long term investors looking to purchase shares of battered blue chips such as BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), among many others.

Like ExxonMobil, the biggest oil and natural gas company in the world, and BHP Billiton, the largest natural resources company on the planet, high growth is not ahead for 3M.  It is simply too massive an entity with a market capitalization of around $97 billion.  Large caps do not grow like caps for the size factor.

But a projected annual growth rate of 11.97 percent in earnings-per-share is very appealing for 3M.

It is about twice the growth rate for the past five years.  It is also nearly twice the earnings growth rate for this year.  Obviously Wall Street sees a strong upside for 3M in the future.

As with BHP Billiton and ExxonMobil, there is a healthy dividend yield to reward shareholders for their loyalty.

The dividend yield for 3M is about 2.55 percent.  3M is a Dividend Aristocrat.  That means it has increased the amount of its dividend annually for at least the past 25 years.  As a result, shareholders get a raise each year simply for not selling the stock.  That is very appealing to income investors.

Based on its history of growth and dividend increases, long term investors should be pleased with the total return that will come from owning shares of 3M!