Early Retirement Portfolio: Top 15 Stocks to Buy

9. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 84

On April 13, Evercore ISI lowered its price recommendation on AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) to $232 from $233. It reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. The adjustment came as the analyst updated estimates in a Q1 preview note.

A few days earlier, on April 6, AbbVie issued a preliminary financial update, lowering its earnings expectations for both the first quarter and the full year of 2026. The revision was driven by $744 million in pre-tax expenses tied to acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D) and milestone payments recorded in the first quarter. This charge reduced earnings by $0.41 per share on both a GAAP and adjusted non-GAAP basis.

With these changes, the company now expects full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS to be in the range of $13.96 to $14.16, compared with the consensus estimate of $14.52 and prior guidance of $14.37 to $14.57. For the first quarter, guidance is set at $2.56 to $2.60, versus the consensus of $2.99 and earlier guidance of $2.97 to $3.01.

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) is a global, diversified research-based biopharmaceutical company. It is involved in the research and development, manufacturing, commercialization, and sale of medicines and therapies across areas such as Immunology, Oncology, Aesthetics, Neuroscience, Eye Care, and other key products.