A Supercharged Buy-and-Hold Gem Firing on All Cylinders

Sell-offs can be stomach-churning, but they also offer excellent opportunities to load up on shares of companies that are typically too expensive to purchase otherwise.

You can never go wrong when you opt for dividend stocks that are impressively stable and possess a solid track record that stood the test of time.

One name that fits this description in the biotechnology and healthcare sector is Abbott Laboratories (ABT).

Over the past years, Abbott has had its hand in diverse ventures ranging from BinaxNOW antigen tests and continuous glucose monitors to Pedialyte. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the company’s over $43.1 billion revenue in 2021 was generated from extensive sources.

While the rest of the world struggled financially during the pandemic, Abbott was able to leverage the strength of its business model.

Thanks to its diverse coverage of the healthcare market, Abbott was able to readily seize the high growth potential of diagnostic tests in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This hold of the market expanded as more tests were needed due to the emergence of multiple variants. Since Abbott already had the technology at the ready, it was able to position itself as a first mover and leader in this segment.

In addition, its diverse portfolio and strategic partnerships translated to an increase in its quarterly revenue to more than 81% in the past five years. It has also boosted Abbott’s growth at twice the S&P 500’s pace and even flagship biotech and healthcare ETFs in the past five years.

Moreover, Abbott’s dividend has consecutively increased in the past 50 years, giving the company the title “Dividend King.”

Abbott’s dividend has increased by an impressive 77% in the last five years thanks to its significant participation in the COVID-19 testing kit market.

More importantly, a market sell-off won’t necessarily affect Abbott’s business. Given its track record, it’s safe to say that its dividend will keep rising in the years to come, thereby rewarding patient long-term investors.

Among the diverse divisions within Abbott, the most exciting is its Medical Devices segment. For years, the company’s innovations in this sector have gained praise from healthcare providers for their ability to combine technology and health under one umbrella.

This segment has greatly benefited from key acquisitions, with the $5.8 billion acquisition of Alere boosting its care diagnostics sector and $25 billion merger with St. Jude’s Medical dramatically expanding its medical device department.

So far, the company has created products for stroke prevention, electrophysiology, and cardiac monitoring—all of which have targeted high-growth segments.

In this particular area, Abbott’s key growth driver is a product called Libre Freestyle. This is an integrated continuous glucose monitoring device.

Basically, it is an implanted device that helps patients with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels. It communicates with an app and, depending on the patient’s condition, is connected to an automated insulin pump.

This effectively eliminates the need for the painful finger-sticking method or self-injecting insulin.

Abbott only has two serious competitors in this breakthrough diabetes-centered technology: Medtronic (MDT) and Dexcom (DXCM).

Despite their presence, Abbott holds the lead due to its more affordable price point, with Freestyle Libre sales increasing by $1 billion in 2021 to record a total of $3.7 billion.

Another interesting department for Abbott is its Established Pharmaceuticals sector. This segment covers established drugs like cystic fibrosis drug Creon, IBS treatment Duspatal, and influenza vaccine Influvac.

While this isn’t a fast growth segment, it has become an essential contributor to the company, with most of its sales coming from wholesale agreements overseas.

Suppose the movement from other Big Pharma companies is any indication. In that case, this segment may very well be on its way to becoming another spinoff organization like Pfizer’s (PFE) move to create Viatris (VTRS) and Merck’s (MRK) decision to develop Organon (OGN).

As a biotechnology and healthcare company, Abbott does not offer the typical buzz-worthy updates that investors in this space are on the lookout for.

Instead, the company has been actively developing products for diagnostics, medical nutrition, medical devices, and surgical tools. Moreover, it focuses on harnessing solid relationships with medical professionals and health insurers.

Unlike its spinoff company AbbVie (ABBV), Abbott is regarded as a financially traditionalistic business. It is a conservative Dividend King that’s steadily growing in its established business sectors, making it a buy-and-hold gem for patient long-term investors.