Abbott narrowly misses on revenue in Q3, holds full-year guidance steady

Revenue came in at $13.05 billion against a $13.13 billion estimate, and per-share earnings missed by a cent

Abbott reported third-quarter earnings per share of $1.42, a cent short of expectations. Revenue reached $13.05 billion, against $13.13 billion expected.

The company kept its full-year 2026 outlook largely intact. It now expects comparable sales growth of approximately 6.0% for the year and tightened its adjusted diluted earnings per share guidance to a range of $5.50 to $5.55, holding the midpoint of its prior forecast. For the fourth quarter, Abbott projects adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.62 to $1.67.

Abbott also declared its 411th consecutive quarterly dividend, at $0.63 per share, payable Nov. 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 15, 2026.

The narrow miss on both lines, paired with guidance that held rather than cut, suggests management views the shortfall as a timing issue within the quarter rather than a shift in underlying demand. But the fourth-quarter range implies earnings need to accelerate well above the $1.42 just posted to hit the annual target, which puts more weight on the next report. The extended dividend streak keeps Abbott's capital-return record intact, even as the revenue miss points to pricing or volume pressure somewhere in the portfolio that the release does not break out.