Abbott raises 2022 profit forecast after strong COVID test demand

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COVID-19 testing has shielded the company’s earnings during the pandemic when demand for its medical devices was hurt by deferred elective procedures.

The company reported COVID-19 testing-related sales of $2.3 billion in the second quarter, while medical device sales rose 2.5% in the quarter.

Abbott said it expects at least $4.90 per share in adjusted earnings in 2022, compared with at least $4.70 forecast earlier.

Sales at Abbott’s nutrition unit fell 7.4%, hit by a recall of its baby formulas and a months-long shutdown at its Michigan plant, which has been at the center of a baby formula shortage in the United States.