Abbott's Medical Device Strategy Supports Long-Term Growth Outlook

Abbott ABT pursues a two-pronged investment strategy within its Medical Devices segment.  The company is directing resources to support the momentum in Diabetes, Structural Heart, Electrophysiology and Heart Failure, which are high-growth areas. At the same time, it continues to invest to improve the growth outlook in foundational segments like Rhythm Management and Vascular. Despite greater investor attention on traditionally fast-growing categories, management notes that the foundational businesses are also generating very impressive returns.In the first quarter of 2026, Medical Devices’ top line grew 8.5% year over year, led by strong performance in the cardiovascular device businesses. Going deeper, Electrophysiology sales increased 13%, aided by the launch of the Volt PFA catheter, which contributed to 14% growth in the United States. Another introduction, the TactiFlex Duo catheter, helped drive mid-teens growth in Europe. The business is poised to accelerate as both these launches continue to scale. Abbott’s Rhythm Management sales grew 13%, making the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth and continued market outperformance. In Heart Failure, 12% growth was driven by the Heart Assist Devices portfolio for the treatment of chronic and temporary conditions.In Diabetes Care, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sales reached $2 billion. However, growth was impacted by an international tender renewal delay and a difficult year-over-year comparison. Management expects CGM sales to return to double-digit growth in the second quarter.Abbott also reported several pipeline wins during the quarter. The company completed patient enrollment in its CATALYST trial, comparing the Amulet left atrial appendage device to oral anticoagulants in patients with Atrial fibrillation (AFib). The company also started the development work for an implantable extravascular ICD product and announced positive results from a randomized controlled trial, demonstrating that the Libre technology helps people with Type 2 diabetes on basal insulin improve glucose management.ABT’s Peer UpdatesMedtronic MDT recently received the CE mark for its Stealth AXiS surgical system, expanding access to advanced surgical technologies across Europe.The system is designed to support a wide range of clinical workflows and surgical environments and integrates planning, navigation and robotic execution into a single, modular platform. Medtronic completed the acquisition of CathWorks, the Israel-based leader in coronary digital health innovations.Insulet PODD has enrolled the first participant in a pivotal study for its fully closed-loop (FCL) automated insulin delivery (AID) system for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The breakthrough innovation, FCL for T2D, is intended to further improve glycemic outcomes with less burden for users across diverse care settings. Insulet aims to remove barriers and expand access to AID, particularly in primary care, where roughly 70% of people with T2D are managed.ABT Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesYear to date, ABT shares have plunged 30.5% compared with the industry’s 23.2% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIn terms of valuation, Abbott is trading at a forward 12-month Price/Earnings (P/E) of 15.31X, lower than its median and industry average.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIn the past 30 days, consensus estimates for Abbott’s earnings have trended downward.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchAbbott currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).  You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks