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Edge16 Oct 2026
Winner, Winner: The Chicken McNugget Story
How a 1940s breeding contest, a Cornell food scientist, and a hedge by Ray Dalio helped McDonald's turn the Chicken McNugget into a fast-food icon.
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories (ABT) investor relations material
Abbott Laboratories Q3 2026 earnings summary
Complete event summary combining all related documents: earnings call transcript, report, and slide presentation.Q3 2026 earnings summary21 Oct, 2026
Executive summary
Q3 net sales were $13.013B, up 14.5% reported and 7.0% comparable; net earnings fell 44.1% to $920M, while adjusted diluted EPS rose 9.2% to $1.42.
Plans call for a tax-free Nutrition separation by end-2027, subject to approvals; the rationale is to give each business distinct focus, investment priorities and operating flexibility.
Exact Sciences contributed to reported sales growth following its March acquisition; reported Diagnostics sales rose 46.7%, while comparable growth was 6.4%.
Financial highlights
Q3 GAAP diluted EPS was $0.53 versus $0.94; adjusted net earnings rose 8.7% to $2.477B. Q3 operating earnings fell 34.0% to $1.358B.
Adjusted gross margin was 57.2%, up 140 bps YoY; reported gross margin was 50.3%, down from 51.7%, reflecting acquisition amortization, higher costs and FX.
9M sales increased 11.9% to $36.770B; net earnings fell to $2.925B, while adjusted net earnings rose 5.9% to $6.789B.
9M operating cash flow was $5.540B versus $6.251B; net investing cash use was $21.382B, driven by acquisition-related outflows.
Outlook and guidance
FY26 comparable sales growth is projected at ~6.0%; adjusted diluted EPS guidance was reaffirmed at $5.50–$5.55. Q4 adjusted EPS guidance is $1.62–$1.67.
FY26 sales outlook implies Q4 growth just above 8%; Q4 FX is expected to reduce sales by ~1%. EP and diabetes growth and pricing dynamics are near-term factors.
For 2027, total sales growth is expected to accelerate; excluding Nutrition’s current profile, expected sales growth acceleration is 50–100 bps, gross-margin expansion >200 bps and operating-margin expansion ~100 bps.
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Latest events from Abbott Laboratories
- Operating earnings and margins improved as Nutritionals and Diagnostics led growth.ABT
Q4 2014 - Margins expanded in 2015, while disposition gains lifted reported net earnings.ABTQ4 2015
- Sales grew, earnings absorbed major one-time charges, and St. Jude Medical reshaped the portfolio.ABTQ4 2016
- Acquisitions expanded the portfolio, but integration costs and tax reform sharply reduced reported earnings.ABTQ4 2017
- Organic growth across all four major businesses lifted FY18 sales to $30.6B.ABTQ4 2018
- Organic sales grew 7.7% as adjusted EPS rose 12.5%.ABTQ4 2019
- COVID-19 diagnostics propelled sales and earnings growth amid broad pandemic-driven business disruption.ABTQ4 2020
- Broad-based growth lifted 2021 sales to $43.1B despite pandemic volatility and cost pressures.ABTQ4 2021
- Medical-device and emerging-market growth helped offset formula recall and cooling COVID-test demand.ABTQ4 2022
Next Abbott Laboratories earnings date
Q4 202621 Jan, 2027
Abbott Laboratories
Next Abbott Laboratories earnings date
Q4 202621 Jan, 2027
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Frequently asked questions
The Business of Life
Abbott Laboratories is an American global and multinational healthcare company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and listed on the NYSE. The company is focused on manufacturing various medical devices and medications. Its products include diagnostics equipment, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic pharmaceuticals. Some of Abotts more well-known products include Pedialyte and FreeStyle, the latter being a monitoring system for people living with diabetes.
Sprung from a small Pharmacy
The inception of Abbott Laboratories can be traced back to 1888 when Dr. Wallace C. Abbott founded it in Chicago. Initially operating as a small pharmacy, Dr. Abbott's business focused on creating standardized drug dosages, known as "dosimetric granules", of commonly used medications. Over the decades, the company underwent significant expansion in terms of its product range and geographical outreach, transforming from its humble beginnings into a notable player in the global pharmaceutical industry.
What They Do
Abbott Laboratories offers a wide array of products and services within healthcare and nutrition. In diagnostics, it supplies tools and tests to medical facilities used in the identification of different illnesses. The company's medical devices segment manufactures equipment used in areas like cardiology, diabetes care, and neuromodulation. Additionally, they also manufacture and sell branded generic pharmaceuticals that can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies like CVS. Their portfolio of nutritional products includes products aimed both at infants and small kids, as well as adults.
Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie
In 2013, Abbott Laboratories underwent a significant transformation by spinning off its research-based pharmaceuticals division into a separate company: AbbVie. This strategic decision was aimed at allowing both companies to focus more distinctly on their respective sectors. While Abbott Laboratories retained its portfolio including medical devices, diagnostics, and nutrition, AbbVie took over the responsibility for the research-driven pharmaceutical business. This split allowed Abbott to concentrate on its extensive range of products and services, whereas AbbVie could focus on the development and commercialization of advanced therapies.