Abbott Reports First-Quarter 2015 Results Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015. First-quarter worldwide sales of $4.9 billion...

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT ) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015 .

"We're off to a good start this year, with particularly strong performance in our branded generics, international nutrition and global diagnostics businesses," said Miles D. White , chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott.

FIRST-QUARTER BUSINESS OVERVIEW

Note: Prior year financial results have been adjusted to exclude the sales from Abbott's developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals and animal health businesses that were sold to Mylan and Zoetis, respectively, in the first quarter 2015. Therefore, sales and growth rates shown in the following chart represent continuing operations .

Following are sales by business segment and commentary for the first quarter:

Total Company ($ in millions)

First-quarter 2015 worldwide sales of $4.9 billion increased 10.0 percent on an operational basis, including the impact of 2014 acquisitions, driven by strong performance in Established Pharmaceuticals, Nutrition and Diagnostics. Sales increased 3.0 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 7.0 percent effect of foreign exchange.

International sales increased 13.6 percent on an operational basis and 3.5 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter.

Emerging market sales increased 20.6 percent on an operational basis and 13.0 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter, including the impact of 2014 acquisitions.

Nutrition ($ in millions)

Worldwide Nutrition sales increased 6.3 percent in the first quarter on an operational basis and 2.3 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 4.0 percent effect of foreign exchange. Abbott Nutrition continues to increase its local presence in key markets. In addition to the three nutrition manufacturing plants Abbott opened in 2014 in China , India and the U.S., Abbott opened a new nutrition pilot plant in Singapore during the first quarter of 2015 to serve as a second global R&D hub. This state-of-the-art facility will allow Abbott to more rapidly pair nutrition science innovation with local consumer preferences.

Worldwide Pediatric Nutrition sales increased 8.8 percent on an operational basis and 5.4 percent on a reported basis in the quarter, including an unfavorable 3.4 percent effect of foreign exchange. Sales growth in the quarter was led by strong international performance, including double-digit growth in China and Latin America on an operational basis.

Worldwide Adult Nutrition sales increased 3.1 percent on an operational basis and decreased 1.6 percent on a reported basis in the quarter, including an unfavorable 4.7 percent effect of foreign exchange. Sales growth was led by international performance, including strong double-digit growth in Latin America on an operational basis. Abbott recently launched its Ensure brand in China in the retail segment, which represents a significant growth opportunity. U.S. Adult Nutrition sales were impacted by competitive and market dynamics. Abbott expects an improvement in U.S. Adult Nutrition sales growth over the rest of the year as it launches new products.

Diagnostics ($ in millions)

Worldwide Diagnostics sales increased 6.0 percent in the first quarter on an operational basis and decreased 2.1 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 8.1 percent effect of foreign exchange. This business continues to deliver durable growth across emerging and developed markets, while also investing in the development of several next-generation diagnostic platforms across all of its business units.

Core Laboratory Diagnostics sales increased 4.7 percent in the quarter on an operational basis and decreased 4.3 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 9.0 percent effect of foreign exchange. Sales growth in the quarter was driven by double-digit growth in emerging markets and strong global growth in the Core Laboratory segment from continued market-share gains driven by the success of Abbott's customer-focused solutions that help manage large testing volumes and increase operational efficiencies. U.S. sales growth was impacted by a comparison to first quarter 2014 when sales increased double digits driven by higher blood screening sales.

Molecular Diagnostics sales increased 7.4 percent in the quarter on an operational basis driven by double-digit operational growth in the infectious disease business, which represents approximately 55 percent of the Molecular Diagnostics sales. Sales increased 0.4 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 7.0 percent effect of foreign exchange.

Point of Care Diagnostics sales increased 15.5 percent in the quarter on an operational basis, as this business continues to build and expand its presence in targeted developed and emerging markets. Sales increased 14.1 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 1.4 percent effect of foreign exchange.

Established Pharmaceuticals ($ in millions)

Note: Prior year financial results have been adjusted to exclude the sales from the developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business, which was sold to Mylan on Feb. 27, 2015 . Therefore, sales and growth rates shown in the following chart represent continuing operations .

Established Pharmaceuticals sales increased 43.0 percent in the first quarter on an operational basis and 31.8 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 11.2 percent effect of foreign exchange. During the quarter, Abbott completed the sale of its developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business to Mylan. The Established Pharmaceuticals business is now focused entirely on emerging markets.

Key Emerging Markets include India , Russia , China , Brazil and Colombia , along with several additional markets that represent the most attractive long-term growth opportunities for Abbott's branded generics product portfolio. Sales in these geographies increased 44.8 percent on an operational basis and 31.8 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 13.0 percent effect of foreign exchange. Excluding the impact of recent acquisitions, sales in Key Emerging Markets increased low double digits on an operational basis.

Medical Devices ($ in millions)

Worldwide Medical Devices sales increased 1.0 percent in the first quarter on an operational basis and decreased 6.6 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 7.6 percent effect of foreign exchange.

Worldwide sales of Vascular products increased 2.1 percent in the quarter on an operational basis and decreased 5.4 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 7.5 percent effect of foreign exchange. Sales of Endovascular products increased high single digits on an operational basis and sales of Abbott's MitraClip ® structural heart product for the treatment of mitral regurgitation increased double digits globally on an operational basis in the quarter. In March at the American College of Cardiology meeting, Abbott presented late-breaking data from the initial commercial use of MitraClip in the U.S. that demonstrated a clinically meaningful reduction in the severity of mitral regurgitation and improvement in the overall health of patients who are not good candidates for surgery. In Japan , Abbott recently launched its new drug-eluting stent system XIENCE Alpine, which is designed for peak performance in complex interventions.

Worldwide Medical Optics sales decreased 3.4 percent in the quarter on an operational basis and 10.5 percent on a reported basis, including an unfavorable 7.1 percent effect of foreign exchange. Sales growth in the quarter was impacted by competitive and market dynamics in the cataract and refractive businesses. Abbott expects improved sales growth over the rest of the year as it launches new products, including the TECNIS Multifocal Low Add and TECNIS Preloaded IOLs recently launched in the U.S.

ABBOTT'S FULL-YEAR 2015 EARNINGS-PER-SHARE GUIDANCE RANGE REMAINS UNCHANGED

Abbott's full-year 2015 guidance range for earnings per share from continuing operations, excluding specified items, remains unchanged at $2.10 to $2.20 , representing strong growth at the mid-point of the guidance range.

Abbott continues to forecast net specified items related to continuing operations for the full year 2015 of approximately $0.77 per share. Specified items include intangible amortization expense, charges associated with cost reduction initiatives, and expenses related to acquisitions.

Including net specified items, projected earnings per share from continuing operations under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) would be $1.33 to $1.43 for the full year 2015.

ABBOTT DECLARES 365 TH CONSECUTIVE QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

On Feb. 20, 2015 , the board of directors of Abbott declared the company's quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share. Abbott's cash dividend is payable on May 15, 2015 , to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 15, 2015 .

Abbott is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for 25 consecutive years.

About Abbott: Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 73,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

Abbott will webcast its live first-quarter earnings conference call through its Investor Relations website at www.abbottinvestor.com at 8 a.m. Central time today. An archived edition of the call will be available after 11 a.m. Central time .

— Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 — A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Abbott cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott's operations are discussed in Item 1A, "Risk Factors,'' to our Annual Report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2014 , and are incorporated by reference. Abbott undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $156 million and other expenses of $78 million , primarily associated with cost reduction initiatives and acquisitions.

Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $127 million and other expenses, primarily associated with cost reduction initiatives of $192 million , as well as tax expense of $52 million associated with a one-time repatriation of 2014 ex-U.S. earnings.

RECONCILIATION OF TAX RATE FOR CONTINUING OPERATIONS

A reconciliation of the first-quarter tax rates for continuing operations for 2015 and 2014 is shown below: