Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) Q3 2026 Earnings: Key Financials and Strategic Outlook

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) reported mixed Q3 2026 financial results, with adjusted earnings per share matching estimates and revenue slightly exceeding expectations.
• Despite strong overall sales growth, Abbott reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance but revised its 2026 sales growth forecast downward due to softness in the medical device market.
• A significant strategic development is Abbott's plan to separate its nutrition business into an independent entity, which will reshape its future business portfolio.

Abbott Laboratories reports third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on October 21, 2026. Abbott Laboratories sells medical devices, diagnostic tests, nutrition products, and medicines. Adjusted earnings are $1.42 per share, matching estimates. Revenue is $13.01 billion, slightly above the $12.99 billion estimate.

Abbott reports sales growth of 14.5% and comparable sales growth of 7.0%. Comparable sales growth includes Exact Sciences, which Abbott acquired on March 23, 2026. Under standard accounting rules, earnings are $0.53 per share, compared with adjusted earnings of $1.42 per share. Adjusted earnings exclude certain items.

Abbott reaffirms its full-year earnings-per-share guidance and reports new product approvals. At the same time, it lowers its 2026 sales growth forecast because of weakness in medical devices, as highlighted by Reuters. The report does not provide the revised forecast or a stock-price movement.

Abbott also plans to separate its nutrition business into an independent company. The business generates about $8.5 billion in annual sales, as highlighted by The Wall Street Journal. The plan would change Abbott’s mix of businesses, but the provided information does not say when the separation will occur.

Abbott trades at 33.02 times its trailing earnings and 3.81 times its trailing sales. Its enterprise value, which includes debt, is 4.41 times trailing sales and 20.72 times operating cash flow. Its trailing earnings yield is 3.03%, while its debt-to-equity ratio is 0.64 and its current ratio is 1.38.