Better Dividend: Abbott Laboratories (ABT) vs. AbbVie Inc (ABBV)

Page 2 of 2

The company’s medical device department also has struggled recently, although Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) remains a leader in the drug-eluting stent market with its star Xience stent. There’s room for optimism here: Abbott’s Absorb next-generation stent is an innovative game-changer for the industry that should keep the company at the top of this market. It may not be enough to propel Abbott’s device division into double-digit growth like its nutritionals segment, but the Absorb and Xience offer plenty of sales upside into the future.

Which stock takes the crown?
Both AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) are great stocks. There are plenty of reasons to invest in each company: AbbVie’s sales strength behind Humira and success in the all-oral hepatitis-C chase makes this young company’s future look bright indeed, while Abbott’s legacy of dividend increases and booming nutritionals segment bode well for the company, even without its high-power pharmaceuticals division.

It’s hard to pick a winner between these two top-notch health care stalwarts, but for dividend investors looking for stability, solid growth, and a reliable dividend you can count on, it’s impossible to count out Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV)’s overreliance on Humira takes down this stock by a hair, and while Abbott has sluggish divisions in medical devices and generic drugs, the firm’s well-set to succeed for years to come. Abbott has been a crown jewel for dividend investors for years, and it looks to remain that way for years to come.

The article Better Dividend: Abbott vs. AbbVie originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Dan Carroll has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD).

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Page 2 of 2