Should You Continue to Retain Abbott Stock in Your Portfolio Now?

Core Business Performance - Abbott is experiencing increased global demand for routine diagnostic tests, particularly in its Diagnostics business, which accounted for 20% of total revenues in Q1 2025 [3][4] - The Diabetes Care segment is benefiting from strong sales of the FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring system, with Q1 sales exceeding $1.7 billion and growing 21.6% [5][8] - Established Pharmaceuticals (EPD) sales rose 8% organically in Q1 2025, with significant growth in emerging markets and a focus on biosimilars [10][8] Market Position and Financials - Abbott's market capitalization stands at $231.38 billion, with an earnings yield of 3.9%, significantly higher than the industry's 0.5% [2] - The company has outperformed earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, achieving an average earnings surprise of 1.6% [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Abbott's 2025 revenues is projected at $44.68 billion, indicating a 6.5% increase from the previous year [13] Strategic Initiatives - Abbott is investing $0.5 billion in new manufacturing and R&D facilities in Illinois and Texas to enhance its U.S. transfusion diagnostics business [4] - The launch of the Alinity m system will allow Abbott to enter the molecular nucleic acid testing market, which is valued at $1 billion [4] - Abbott has secured rights to 15 biosimilar products, positioning itself for growth in the branded generic pharmaceutical market [10][9] Challenges and Risks - Macroeconomic pressures, including geopolitical tensions and rising raw material costs, are expected to impact Abbott's margins and sales [11][12] - Foreign exchange fluctuations have negatively affected Abbott's international sales, with a 2.8% unfavorable year-over-year impact reported in Q1 2025 [12]