# Abbott Stock Q3 2026: Sales Rise 14.5% as Abbott Plans a Nutrition Spin-Off
> Abbott stock Q3 2026: sales rose 14.5% to $13.01bn, or 7.0% comparable, adjusted EPS rose 9.2% to $1.42 and Abbott plans to spin off Nutrition.

Agent brief for this QSI Labs research article. Prefer this file for quick facts; use the HTML page for the full human layout, or article.md for the full text.

## Facts
- Ticker: ABT
- QSILabs fair value: $58.11 USD
- Price: $110.16 (as of 2026-11-02)
- As of: Q3 2026 results (quarter ended 2026-09-30, reported 2026-10-21); balance sheet from Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 2026-06-30; price as of 2026-11-02 close
- Fiscal period: Q3 2026 (July-September 2026)
- Published: 2026-11-02
- Updated: 2026-11-02
- Author: QSI Labs Research
- Canonical: https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/research/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre/

## Short answer
Abbott stock Q3 2026 comes down to two pieces of news on the same day. Abbott reported sales of $13.01bn for the three months to 30 September 2026, up 14.5%, or 7.0% on a comparable basis that strips out the Exact Sciences acquisition and currency moves, and adjusted earnings per share of $1.42, up 9.2%. It also said it intends to separate its Nutrition business, with about $8.5bn of annual sales, into an independent listed company by the end of 2027. GAAP earnings per share fell to $0.53 from $0.94, because of amortisation from the Exact deal and about $670m of legal settlements. Our discounted cash flow model values the shares at $58.11, against a $110.16 close on 2 November 2026; that gap rests mostly on a 10.35% cost of capital, so we show below how far it moves when you change that and the other inputs.

## Key takeaways
- Comparable growth picked up to 7.0%. Sales were $13,013m, up 14.5% reported. On a comparable basis growth was 7.0%, against 5.2% for the first nine months, and every segment grew.
- Devices led. Medical Devices sales rose 7.8% on a comparable basis to $5,826m. Electrophysiology grew 15.5% and Rhythm Management 10.0%, while Diabetes Care grew 6.7%.
- Exact Sciences is now in Diagnostics. Cancer Diagnostics, the former Exact Sciences, had sales of $968m and comparable growth of 13.8%. Abbott completed the roughly $20.6bn acquisition on 23 March 2026.
- Adjusted EPS up 9.2%, GAAP EPS down 43.6%. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.42 and GAAP earnings per share $0.53. Amortisation of intangible assets doubled to $841m and the quarter included about $670m of legal settlements.
- Nutrition will be spun off. Abbott plans a tax-free distribution of the Nutrition business to its shareholders by the end of 2027. Without Nutrition, it says sales growth would be 50 to 100 basis points higher and operating margin about 100 basis points higher.
- Guidance tightened. Abbott expects 2026 adjusted EPS of $5.50 to $5.55, keeping the midpoint, and comparable sales growth of about 6.0%. It forecasts fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.62 to $1.67.
- Our value: $58.11 a share, against a $110.16 close on 2 November 2026. A two-stage cross-check gives $57.58; with the 8.68% US industry cost of capital the model gives $78.57. Analysts' average target is $118.52.
- What to watch. Libre Duo's U.S. launch in December, pricing in continuous glucose monitors outside the U.S., the electrophysiology ramp, the 2027 guidance due in January and the terms of the Nutrition separation.

## Full versions
- [HTML](https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/research/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre/)
- [Markdown](https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/research/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre/article.md)
- [PDF](https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/research/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre.pdf)
- [This agent brief](https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/research/abbott-stock-q3-2026-earnings-nutrition-spin-libre/llms.txt)

Publisher: QSI Labs (Quantitative Super Intelligence Labs)
Site index: https://www.quantitativesuperintelligencelabs.com/llms.txt