Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should You Buy, Sell or Hold ABBV Stock After It Rises 12% in a Month?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Key Takeaways

  • ABBV raised 2026 revenue and earnings guidance after beating Q1 estimates on sales and profit.
  • ABBV expects Skyrizi and Rinvoq sales above $31B in 2026, with combined growth exceeding 20%.
  • ABBV targets about 10% revenue growth in 2026, led by immunology and neuroscience momentum.

AbbVie (ABBV - Free Report) stock has risen roughly 12% over the past month. A key catalyst behind the increase was the company’s robust first-quarter 2026 report. It beat estimates for both earnings and sales and the guidance for 2026 revenues and earnings was also raised.  Investors have been waiting for proof that AbbVie could grow despite erosion in sales of its blockbuster drug, Humira, which has lost patent exclusivity, and the quarter provided that evidence.

AbbVie's immunology franchise sales are now being driven by two blockbuster drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which are more than offsetting Humira's ongoing erosion. Investors also welcomed several positive pipeline and regulatory updates.

However, though the stock’s recent price increase will impress investors, those with a long-term investment horizon should make a decision based on the company’s fundamentals after carefully analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.

ABBV’s Successful Immunology Drugs — Skyrizi and Rinvoq

Sales of Humira are declining due to loss of exclusivity (LOE) and biosimilar erosion. However, AbbVie has successfully navigated the LOE of Humira, a drug that once generated more than 50% of its total revenues. It has accomplished this by launching two other successful new immunology medicines, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which are performing extremely well, bolstered by approvals in new indications, and should support top-line growth in the next few years.

Skyrizi and Rinvoq generated combined sales of $6.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting strong demand for all approved indications. In 2026, AbbVie expects combined Skyrizi and Rinvoq sales of more than $31 billion. Combined, Skyrizi and Rinvoq are expected to deliver more than 20% growth in 2026.

Strong immunology market growth, market share gains and momentum from new indications, as well as the potential for five new indications for Rinvoq over the next few years, are expected to drive Skyrizi and Rinvoq’s growth. Rinvoq could be approved for two indications — vitiligo and alopecia areata in 2026/early 2027. In addition, phase III data with Rinvoq in hidradenitis suppurativa and systemic lupus erythematosus are expected in 2026. AbbVie believes that the next wave of potential approvals in Rinvoq could add roughly $2 billion to peak-year sales for the product.

However, AbbVie expects a low single-digit pricing headwind for both Skyrizi and Rinvoq in 2026 and over the next few years. Moreover, the launch of J&J’s (JNJ - Free Report) new oral pill for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, Icotyde, has increased competitive pressure for Skyrizi, which can impact the product’s prescription trends. However, AbbVie seems confident that it can navigate competition from Icotyde.

ABBV’s Oncology and Neuroscience Drug Contributions

AbbVie’s neuroscience portfolio is also contributing to top-line growth. Sales of its neuroscience drugs increased 24.3% to $2.88 billion in the first quarter of 2026, driven by higher sales of Botox Therapeutic, depression drug Vraylar, newer migraine drugs Ubrelvy and Qulipta and new Parkinson’s disease drug, Vyalev.

The initial international launch uptake of Vyalev, a transformative therapy for treating advanced Parkinson’s disease, approved in late 2024, has been encouraging. AbbVie expects Vyalev to achieve blockbuster status in 2026. AbbVie’s Parkinson’s disease franchise, comprising Vyalev and once-daily oral treatment tavapadon (under review in the United States; FDA decision expected in the third quarter of 2026), is viewed as a key driver of growth in neuroscience. AbbVie believes that the Parkinson’s disease franchise has a more than $5 billion peak sales potential.

AbbVie has built a substantial oncology franchise with Imbruvica and Venclexta. However, its oncology sales have slightly slowed down. Its oncology sales declined 3% to $1.63 billion in the first quarter, as higher Venclexta sales and contributions from new drugs, Elahere, Epkinly and Emrelis, were offset by an expected decline in Imbruvica sales. However, AbbVie believes the oncology pipeline is robust with several study readouts and initiations expected this year.

AbbVie’s Robust Pipeline & M&A Spree

AbbVie boasts a robust pipeline and expects important data readouts, regulatory submissions and approvals throughout 2026

Over the next couple of years, AbbVie expects new product approvals for tavapadon and pivotal data readouts for key pipeline candidates, lutikizumab (hidradenitis suppurativa
), Temab-A (metastatic colorectal cancer) and etentamig (third-line-plus multiple myeloma). Last month, the FDA approved AbbVie’s key pipeline candidate, Decnupaz/pivekimab sunirine for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm in the United States. These new products/pipeline programs have the potential to drive long-term growth for AbbVie, while Skyrizi and Rinvoq should boost near-term growth.

AbbVie is also evaluating Skyrizi-based combination regimens with candidates like ABBV-382 (anti-α4β7) and ABBV-701 (anti-TL1A) to create best-in-class, durable remission therapies in inflammatory bowel disease.

AbbVie has been on an acquisition spree over the past couple of years to bolster the early-stage pipeline that should drive long-term growth. It is signing several M&A deals in the immunology space, its core area, while also signing some early-stage deals in oncology and neuroscience.

On the first-quarter conference call, CEO Robert Michael said the company still has significant financial capacity to pursue both early and late-stage opportunities.

ABBV’s Struggling Aesthetics Segment & Humira Erosion

Sales of Humira are declining due to biosimilar erosion. The launch of Humira biosimilars in the United States in 2023 significantly eroded the drug’s sales in 2024 and 2025. Humira sales declined around 50% in 2025. Humira sales are expected to continue to decline in 2026 as more plans exclude branded Humira and move to exclusive biosimilar contracts.

AbbVie has been seeing soft sales of its Aesthetics unit for the past couple of years. Continued macro challenges and economic headwinds are hurting Aesthetics 'sales. Global aesthetics sales are projected to be $5 billion in 2026, flat from 2025 levels, as moderate growth in Botox Cosmetic is likely to be offset by continued decline in Juvederm sales due to continued headwinds in key dermal filler markets. In line with this trend, Botox Cosmetic sales rose 17% while Juvederm sales declined 2.9% in the first quarter.

Approval of trenibotE, a fast-acting short-duration toxin, has been delayed in the United States, with the FDA issuing a complete response letter to its regulatory filing due to manufacturing concerns.

ABBV Stock Price, Valuation and Estimate Revision

ABBV stock has risen 20.1% in the past year compared with an appreciation of 24.7% for the industry.

ABBV Stock Underperforms Industry

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, AbbVie is reasonably priced. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 14.99 forward earnings, lower than 17.68 for the industry. However, the stock is trading above its five-year mean of 13.90.  The stock is cheaper than other large drugmakers like AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) , Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) and J&J.

ABBV Stock Valuation

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings estimates for 2026 have risen from $14.28 to $14.30 over the past 30 days, while those for 2027 have risen from $16.25 to $16.30 over the same time frame.

ABBV Estimate Movement

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stay Invested in ABBV Stock

AbbVie combats its share of headwinds, including the impact of Humira LOE, slowing oncology sales, evolving competitive dynamics for Skyrizi and continued macro woes for Aesthetics. However, the company has faced its biggest challenge — Humira’s patent cliff — quite well and looks well-positioned for continued strong growth in the years ahead.

ABBV delivered robust net sales growth in 2025, which was just the second full year following the Humira LOE in the United States. AbbVie expects another year of robust growth in 2026. It expects total revenues to rise around 10% in 2026, backed mainly by significant momentum in immunology and neuroscience products, which are demonstrating significant growth and delivering share gains in growing markets.

It expects high single-digit revenue growth through 2029, as the company has no significant LOE events for the rest of this decade. A substantial portion of this growth is expected to be driven by the robust performance of Skyrizi and Rinvoq. AbbVie also has the flexibility to invest more in R&D and continue acquiring external innovations.

Long-term investors can continue to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock in their portfolio as the company enjoys strong fundamentals, a solid pipeline and growth outlook. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)

Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in