Abbott (ABT) ended the recent trading session at $112.90, demonstrating a -0.18% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.6%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.39%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 1.12%.

Coming into today, shares of the maker of infant formula, medical devices and drugs had gained 7.39% in the past month. In that same time, the Medical sector gained 4.78%, while the S&P 500 gained 3.15%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Abbott in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $1.20, showcasing a 5.26% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $10.52 billion, up 3.75% from the prior-year quarter.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $4.66 per share and revenue of $41.73 billion, which would represent changes of +4.95% and +4.05%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Abbott. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the company's business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged. As of now, Abbott holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, Abbott is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.26. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 24.58.

We can additionally observe that ABT currently boasts a PEG ratio of 2.81. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Medical - Products industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.36.

The Medical - Products industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 98, finds itself in the top 39% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

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