{"id":42431,"date":"2023-07-31T03:05:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T07:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/news\/abbott-this-dividend-king-is-ready-for-takeoff-nyseabt\/"},"modified":"2023-07-31T03:05:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T07:05:48","slug":"abbott-this-dividend-king-is-ready-for-takeoff-nyseabt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=42431","title":{"rendered":"Abbott: This Dividend King Is Ready For Takeoff (NYSE:ABT)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Introduction<\/h2>\n

I love to invest in companies that make life better\/are critical parts of our modern economies. Not only are companies more likely to survive, but they also tend to come with wide moats, which is somewhat related, except that it also indicates strong pricing power and other issues that benefit shareholders.<\/span><\/p>\n

These companies include railroads, real estate, energy, aerospace, and healthcare. Especially healthcare has become one of my favorite sectors, as it caters to increasingly complex problems.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, NPR published an article titled Live free and die? The sad state of US life expectancy<\/em>. In its article, it used a chart I have used in prior articles as well.<\/p>\n

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\"Image\"<\/span>
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Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The chart shows a steep decline in the US life expectancy consisting of two consecutive annual declines – the steepest in modern history.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to NPR, factors include not only individual behaviors like poor diets and lack of exercise but also social factors like poverty, racial segregation, and social isolation.<\/p>\n

Access to healthcare and the physical environment, including city design affecting food access, were also found to be significant contributors.<\/p>\n

Having said that, if we look at the leading causes of death (in 2019), we see that heart disease and cancer are the bigger factors, followed by chronic lower respiratory diseases, strokes, injuries, and diabetes.<\/p>\n

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\"QuickStats: <\/picture>
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CDC<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

I like to focus on companies that address these health issues. This includes Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT<\/span>)<\/strong>, the star of this article.<\/p>\n

What Makes Abbott So Special<\/h2>\n

I have become a huge fan of Abbott. The stock is a part of my watchlist and a holding of a number of portfolios that I advise.<\/p>\n

With a market cap of $196 billion, this Illinois-based company is a giant in the medical devices industry.<\/p>\n

It operates four major segments, each responsible for more than $4.9 billion in annual revenues.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
USD in Million<\/th>\n2021<\/th>\nWeight<\/th>\n2022<\/th>\nWeight<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
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Diagnostic Products<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

15,644<\/td>\n36.3 %<\/td>\n16,584<\/td>\n38.0 %<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Medical Devices<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

14,367<\/td>\n33.4 %<\/td>\n14,687<\/td>\n33.6 %<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Nutritional Products<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

8,294<\/td>\n19.3 %<\/td>\n7,459<\/td>\n17.1 %<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Established Pharmaceutical Products<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

4,718<\/td>\n11.0 %<\/td>\n4,912<\/td>\n11.3 %<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Other<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

52<\/td>\n0.1 %<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n0.0 %<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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