Stock price when the opinion was issued
Expects it to growth topline and bottom line going forward, usually around the 10% range. Sells branded generic drugs to EMs, medical devices, infant nutrition. Diabetes monitoring product has very good growth. Likes that it's diversified, well managed. Yield close to 3%, grown for over 50 consecutive years.
Has excellent fundamentals across four businesses, including best-in-class medical devices renown in cardiology. However, they face lawsuits over their similac formula which studies show is not harmful. It's unfair. It lost a lawsuit last summer and was hit a $495 million penalty. More lawsuits are coming, though the latest decision yesterday went in Abbott's favour. Last month, federal agencies found that the formula is not at fault. Two weeks ago, ABT reported a clean top and bottom line beat and raised their full-year forecast. Shares would have rallied more without the lawsuits.
Flat over the year. Wonderful product portfolio. Structural driver is heart/cardiac business. Reported yesterday, topline growth 2%. This number is misleading, as cardiac organic growth was 14%, and organic growth outside of diagnostics was 10%. Performing well, growing quite well, reasonable multiple. He'd buy today.