Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) enters fiscal 2026 with a growing profile, increasingly driven by sustained momentum in medical devices—particularly diabetes care and electrophysiology. Meanwhile, headwinds in diagnostics and nutrition are easing but still weigh on overall performance. The company’s guidance for high single-digit organic sales growth underscores confidence in its diversified portfolio despite broader healthcare sector pressures.
Estimates
The medical device maker is preparing to report first-quarter FY26 results on Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 am ET. On average, analysts following the business forecast adjusted earnings of $1.15 per share for the first three months of FY26 on estimated revenues of $11.0 billion. In Q1 2025, the company reported earnings of $1.09 per share, excluding special items, and revenues of $10.36 billion. In the trailing two quarters, earnings came in line with expectations, while revenues slightly missed the Street expectations.
Abbott’s stock had a weak start to 2026 and lost around 20% since the beginning of the year. It has traded range-bound this month, hovering near the $100 mark. Over the past twelve months, the stock underperformed the S&P 500, falling sharply from a 52‑week high, while the index made significant gains during that period.
Also Read: Goldman Sachs Q1 FY26 earnings beat estimates
Q4 Outcome
In the fourth quarter, Abbott’s sales increased 4.4% YoY to $11.46 billion, supported by its robust product pipeline. Management said it expects full-year FY26 organic sales to grow between 6.5% and 7.5%. Adjusted earnings rose to $1.50 per share in the December quarter from $1.34 per share in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share are expected to come in the range of $5.55 to $5.80 per share in 2026. On a reported basis, net income was $1.78 billion or $1.01 per share, vs. $9.2 billion or $5.27 per share in Q4 2024.
Abbott’s CEO Robert Ford said in his post-earnings interaction with analysts, “Our goal is to transition our business back to one with a more balanced growth profile, with volume growth playing a greater role going forward. In the fourth quarter, we began implementing price and promotion initiatives to help start the process of reigniting volume growth. To further drive volume growth, we are increasing our focus on innovation, which is an area that was deprioritized the last few years, given the necessary heavy focus on production and supply chain management in this business.”
Mixed Trend
Abbott has maintained strong momentum in its core medical device business, while its diagnostics segment is normalizing and its nutrition business has faced challenges recently, partly mitigated by management’s recovery initiatives. Abbott typically demonstrates resilience in periods of market uncertainty, as a large portion of its portfolio consists of essential healthcare products across medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals.
On Monday, Abbott’s stock opened near the $100 mark and traded down 1% in early trading. The shares have lost 24% in the past six months.