Stock Update (NYSE:ABT): Abbott Introduces Ensure® Enlive®, Pairing the Latest in Science and Nutrition to Improve Health

[PR Newswire] – ABBOTT PARK, Ill., March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — People today are living and enjoying life longer– by 2050, the U.S. population over age 65 is projected to almost double to nearly 84 million.1 But as more than 60 percent of this group have two or more chronic conditions,2 staying healthy and active can be a challenge. To help older adults live their healthiest lives possible, Abbott developed Ensure® Enlive® to help rebuild lost muscle and regain strength and energy. Ensure Enlive, shown to improve health, is the first and only complete and balanced nutrition drink in the United States with 20 grams of high-quality protein and the unique ingredient HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate). Staying healthy means older adults can maintain their independence as they age, even when recovering from an illness, injury or surgery. Read more on this. Abbott Laboratories (ABT) , valued at $61.12B, started the session at $40.75. Looking at the equity, the company’s one day range is $40.71 to $41.51 with the price of the stock fluctuating between $36.00 to $51.74 over the last 52 weeks. ABT shares are currently priced at 18.93x this year’s forecasted earnings, which makes them relatively expensive compared to the industry’s -5.78x earnings multiple. The company pays shareholders $1.04 per share annually in dividends, yielding 2.55%. Consensus earnings for the current quarter by the 18 sell-side analysts covering the stock is an estimate of $0.39 per share, which would be $0.08 worse than the year-ago quarter and a $0.11 sequential decrease. What we find to be interesting is that the full-year EPS estimate of $2.16 is a $0.01 improvement when compared to the previous year’s annual results. The quarterly earnings estimate is predicated on a consensus revenue forecast of $4.77 Billion. If reported, that would be a 2.65% decrease over the year-ago quarter. Recently, Morgan Stanley downgraded ABT from Overweight to Equal-Weight (Jan 4, 2016). Previously, Goldman downgraded ABT from Buy to Neutral. Investors should keep in mind is that the average price target is $44.33, which is 8.79% above where the stock opened this morning. See more in (NYSE:ABT) Similar Articles: Stock Update: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) – FDA advisers to weigh risks of Abbott’s dissolving stent Market Update (NYSE:ABT): Abbott Introduces New ‘Foodie’ Inspired Snack Brand: Curate Company Update: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) – Abbott Reports Third-Quarter 2015 Results