Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare giant that makes everything from medical devices and diagnostic tests to baby formula and nutritional drinks.
Is Abbott Laboratories a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare giant that makes everything from medical devices and diagnostic tests to baby formula and nutritional drinks.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Aging global population leads to sustained demand for medical tech.
Major regulatory changes or legal challenges impact core business lines.
What does Abbott Laboratories do?
Abbott is a household name in healthcare, operating across four main areas: medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition, and generic medicines. Its earnings come from selling these essential products to hospitals, clinics, and directly to consumers in supermarkets. Watch how they balance their steady, reliable nutrition business against the more innovative, high-growth world of medical technology.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.4% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 13% over the year
- !High P/E of 34 - big growth is already priced in
- Highly diversified business across different healthcare sectors
- Strong profit margins on products
- Long history of paying dividends to shareholders
- Heavy regulation of healthcare products
- Potential for legal costs or product recalls
- Sensitivity to global economic downturns
What do Abbott Laboratories's numbers mean?
How much money does Abbott Laboratories make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Abbott Laboratories pay a dividend?
Yes - Abbott Laboratories currently pays a dividend of about 2.4% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Abbott Laboratories report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Abbott Laboratories is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-14 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-16 | $1.28 | $1.31 | Beat +3% |
| 2026-04-16 | $1.15 | $1.15 | In line |
| 2026-01-22 | $1.49 | $1.50 | In line |
| 2025-10-15 | $1.30 | $1.30 | In line |
| 2025-07-17 | $1.26 | $1.26 | In line |
| 2025-04-16 | $1.07 | $1.09 | Beat +2% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Abbott Laboratories came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Moderna, Inc.
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.What are the scenarios for Abbott Laboratories?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Abbott Laboratories?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Highly diversified business across different healthcare sectors
- Strong profit margins on products
- Long history of paying dividends to shareholders
- Recent earnings growth has been negative
- Large, complex company can be slow to pivot
- Significant competition in the medical device space
- Heavy regulation of healthcare products
- Potential for legal costs or product recalls
- Sensitivity to global economic downturns
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained, long-term decline in global healthcare spending
- A major, permanent loss of market share in key medical device categories
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.