10 Unstoppable Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

5. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

12-Month Return as of the Close of May 16: 30.6%

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) is an American multinational medical device and healthcare company. The company recently shared findings from its REFLECT real-world studies, revealing that the use of its FreeStyle Libre® continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system is linked to a notable decrease in hospitalizations for heart-related complications among people with diabetes. For the first time, the data demonstrate that CGM technology can reduce the severity of cardiovascular issues in individuals with Type 1 diabetes, regardless of their history with low blood sugar or previous heart-related hospital stays. The studies also showed a similar drop in heart-related hospital admissions for people with Type 2 diabetes who use the Libre biowearable device while on insulin.

In its announcement, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) highlighted that diabetes affects 589 million people globally. Managing blood sugar and preventing complications like heart disease are critical challenges for those living with the condition. Ramzi Ajjan, M.D., professor of Metabolic Medicine at Leeds University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, made the following comment on this development:

“I regularly treat people with diabetes who have problems with their blood vessels, resulting in heart attacks, strokes and amputations. These blood vessel problems, known collectively as cardiovascular disease, remain the main causes of ill health in people with diabetes. I am very excited to see data that show a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease-related hospital admissions. It’s great to see the clear, positive impact of FreeStyle Libre technology on cardiovascular outcomes, making diabetes management more effective and improving the health of our patients.”

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)’s breakthrough in diabetes is well-received by analysts, its dividend policy has also garnered investors’ attention over the years. The company is a Dividend King with 53 consecutive years of dividend growth under its belt. Currently, it pays a quarterly dividend of $0.59 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.75%, as of May 18. The stock surged by over 30.6% in the past 12 months.