Abbott (ABT) Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Abbott reported quarterly earnings of $1.34 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, and showing an increase from $1.19 per share a year ago [1] - The company posted revenues of $10.97 billion for the quarter, slightly missing the consensus estimate by 0.45%, but up from $10.24 billion year-over-year [2] Financial Performance - Over the last four quarters, Abbott has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times and topped revenue estimates three times as well [2] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.12 on revenues of $10.64 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.14 on revenues of $44.94 billion [7] Stock Performance and Outlook - Abbott shares have increased by approximately 3.3% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.9% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating expectations for outperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Medical - Products industry, to which Abbott belongs, is currently ranked in the top 38% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook for stocks in this sector [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]