Questionable End of Road Billboard

[MickinMD ★]

According to the billboard at bottom, Abbott Labs is either telling us we're near the end of the road and maybe watch out for the insane runner, chasing us with his arms held out to his side.

I've owned Abbott since 1993 and it's been very, very good to me. I got 1 share for every share of Abbott when it spun off AbbVie and a couple other companies. If I could only own 1 "safe" stock, it would be Abbott Labs. It makes sector-leading things like Similac baby formula and quick-tests for doctors' offices that sell in good times and bad. It reported 2019 earnings today, "Adjusted earnings were $3.24 per share, up 12.5% ...All four divisions reported sales and earnings increases....Total fourth quarter sales were up 7.1%. Medical device sales increased 9.7%, nutrition sales rose 5.2%, pharmaceutical sales were up 7.8%, and laboratory diagnostics sales rose by 8.4%.

Sales of Abbott's Similac baby formula remain #1 worldwide and now #1 in China. Sales from Abbott's continuous glucose monitor, FreeStyle Libre, rose 58.5% to $534 million in the reported quarter, furthering gains at the company's medical devices unit. Launched in Europe in 2014 and in the United States three years later, FreeStyle Libre helps diabetics track blood sugar levels without having to prick their fingers. Sales of the company's MitraClip device, which is used in minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures, jumped 27% to $191 million."