Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Years ended September 30

(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)



	2010	2011	2012 (a)	2013 (a)	2014 (a)
Net sales	21,039	24,222	24,412	24,669	24,537
Earnings from continuing operations – common stockholders	1,978	2,454	1,968	2,004	2,147
Basic earnings per common share from continuing operations	2.62	3.26	2.68	2.78	3.05
Diluted earnings per common share from continuing operations	2.60	3.24	2.67	2.76	3.03
Cash dividends per common share	1.34	1.38	1.60	1.64	1.72
Long-term debt	4,586	4,324	3,787	4,055	3,559
Total assets	22,843	23,861	23,818	24,711	24,177

(a) Includes goodwill impairment and income tax charges as follows: 2014, $508 million and $0.72 per share; 2013, $566 million and $0.78 per share; 2012, $528 million and $0.72 per share.

See Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of the 2014 Annual Report, which note is hereby incorporated by reference, for information regarding the Company's acquisition and divestiture activities for the last three years. In 2010, the Company acquired Chloride Group PLC and Avocent Corporation. At acquisition, the combined annual sales for these businesses were approximately $960 million, and actual sales of $373 million were included in 2010 from their dates of acquisition. The divested U.S. Motors business, with annual sales of approximately $820 million, was classified as discontinued operations in 2010.

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