Abbott Labs .... Q-Zahlen in line with estimates

[Ralph]

ABBOTT LABS Q4 SALES AT $3.705 BLN, UP 6.8%

ABBOTT LABS Q4 EARNS IN LINE WITH FIRST CALL CONSENSUS 48 CENTS

ABBOTT LABS POSTS Q4 EARNS 48 CENTS VS. PRIOR YEAR'S 43 CENTS

Ralph

[Ralph]

Abbott Labs Meets Fourth-Quarter Estimates

By Chris Frankie
Editorial Assistant
1/16/01 11:01 AM ET


Abbott Laboratories (ABT:NYSE - news) reported fourth-quarter earnings that met Wall Street's expectations as sales increased by almost 7%.

The health care and pharmaceutical products company earned 48 cents in the quarter, in line with the consensus estimate of 17 analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial. Abbott earned 43 cents in the year-ago period.

Net income for the quarter rose 13.5% to $753 million from the $664 million in the same period last year. Sales rose 6.8% to $3.71 billion from $3.47 billion in the equivalent period of 1999.

Shares of the company, which is based in Abbott Park, Ill., gained $1.50, or 3.4%, to $45.06 in recent New York Stock Exchange trading.
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Ralph