Abbott Q1 Revenue Beats Estimates, Cuts Full-Year Guidance

Abbott Laboratories reported first-quarter 2026 results on Thursday that showed revenue slightly exceeding expectations and earnings per share aligning with forecasts, but the company lowered its full-year profit guidance amid costs from a recent acquisition, sending shares down more than 4 percent in premarket trading.

The Chicago-based healthcare company posted revenue of $11.2 billion for the period ended March 31, topping Wall Street estimates of $11 billion. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.15, matching analyst consensus and up from $1.09 a year earlier. Comparable sales rose 3.7 percent year over year, helped by a favorable 4 percent foreign exchange impact. Chairman and CEO Robert B. Ford described the results as consistent with the company's expectations for the year's start, despite a weaker respiratory testing season.

The quarter included the March 23 completion of Abbott's $21 billion acquisition of Exact Sciences, a move announced in late 2025 to bolster its diagnostics portfolio with cancer screening products like Cologuard. Ford highlighted the deal as a strategic milestone that adds a high-growth business, projecting it to contribute about $3 billion in...