Should Investors Be Worried About Dividend King AbbVie?

Core Viewpoint - AbbVie's Q1 results showed strong revenue growth of 8.4% year over year, driven by autoimmune disease drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq, and the company raised its full-year earnings guidance, but potential tariff issues and international reference pricing pose significant risks to its future performance [1][4][5]. Group 1: Financial Performance - AbbVie's revenue increased by 8.4% year over year, primarily due to the success of Skyrizi and Rinvoq [1]. - The company exceeded Wall Street's expectations for both revenue and earnings in Q1 [1]. - AbbVie raised its full-year earnings guidance, although it included a disclaimer regarding potential trade policy changes [4]. Group 2: Tariff Concerns - Current tariffs have not impacted AbbVie, as pharmaceuticals were exempt from the Trump administration's tariffs [2]. - President Trump announced plans for a major tariff on pharmaceuticals, aiming to encourage domestic manufacturing [3]. - CEO Robert Michael indicated that any tariff impacts would likely align with those faced by peers, and AbbVie would not pass on price increases to customers but may seek cost efficiencies [4][9]. Group 3: International Reference Pricing - The Trump administration is considering implementing international reference pricing, which could significantly affect U.S. drug prices and pose an "existential threat" to the industry [5][6]. - Michael expressed concerns about the potential negative impact of international reference pricing on U.S. healthcare and innovation during the Q1 earnings call [7]. - Previous attempts to implement such pricing were halted by federal courts, and any new efforts may face strong lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry [10].