Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) set a confident tone for 2026, projecting a return to double-digit earnings growth and robust organic sales as it prepares to integrate a massive new cancer-diagnostics vertical.
The Chicago-based healthcare giant reported fourth-quarter adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.50, a 12% increase from the prior year and slightly ahead of Wall Street estimates.
Full-year 2025 sales reached $44.3 billion, representing 5.5% organic growth, driven primarily by its Medical Devices segment and continued demand for its FreeStyle Libre glucose monitors.
For 2026, Abbott expects organic sales to accelerate, forecasting a growth range of 6.5% to 7.5%.
The company also guided for adjusted diluted EPS of $5.55 to $5.80, with the $5.68 midpoint representing roughly 10% growth over 2025.
Notably, this guidance does not yet fully factor in the financial impact of the pending $21 billion acquisition of Exact Sciences, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.
Chief Executive Officer Robert Ford has positioned the Exact Sciences deal as a "transformative" move into the $60 billion oncology screening market.
The acquisition will add the popular Cologuard colon cancer test to Abbott's portfolio, pushing its annual diagnostics revenue past the $12 billion mark.