Abbott (ABT) Increases Yet Falls Behind Market: What Investors Need to Know

ABT

In the latest trading session, Abbott (ABT - Free Report) closed at $119.02, marking a +0.98% move from the previous day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 2.11%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.18%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 2.96%.

The the stock of maker of infant formula, medical devices and drugs has risen by 6.41% in the past month, leading the Medical sector's gain of 3.98% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.08%.

The upcoming earnings release of Abbott will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.97, signifying a 5.83% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $9.81 billion, indicating a 0.65% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $4.61 per share and a revenue of $41.78 billion, signifying shifts of +3.83% and +4.17%, respectively, from the last year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Abbott should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.15% lower. Currently, Abbott is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, Abbott is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 25.56. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 20.65 of its industry.

We can additionally observe that ABT currently boasts a PEG ratio of 2.84. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Medical - Products industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.38 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Medical - Products industry is part of the Medical sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 166, this industry ranks in the bottom 35% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow ABT in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

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