8-KEarnings & ResultsExhibits & Filings

ABBOTT LABORATORIES 8-K Report, Financial Results (Oct 14, 2009)

Filed October 14, 2009For Securities:ABT

Summary

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) filed an 8-K report on October 14, 2009, to announce its third-quarter 2009 financial results. The report primarily serves to furnish the press release containing these results, which details both GAAP and non-GAAP financial performance. Investors should note that Abbott utilizes non-GAAP measures such as net earnings and diluted earnings per share, excluding specified items, to provide a clearer view of ongoing business performance. Management employs these non-GAAP figures internally and believes they offer valuable insights to investors by adjusting for unusual or unpredictable factors like acquisition costs, restructuring charges, and litigation settlements. The company emphasizes that these non-GAAP measures should be considered alongside, not as a replacement for, GAAP-based financial statements. The filing's core purpose is to inform stakeholders about the company's operational and financial condition as of the third quarter of 2009, with the detailed financial results and management's commentary available in the referenced press release. The report is signed by Thomas C. Freyman, Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, underscoring the financial nature of the disclosure.

Key Highlights

  • 1Abbott Laboratories announced its third-quarter 2009 financial results via an 8-K filing on October 14, 2009.
  • 2The filing is primarily a furnishing of a press release containing the company's Q3 2009 results.
  • 3Abbott utilizes non-GAAP financial measures (net earnings and EPS excluding specified items) to present its performance.
  • 4These non-GAAP measures adjust for factors like acquisition costs, cost reduction initiatives, litigation, and other unusual items.
  • 5Management believes non-GAAP measures enhance investor understanding of ongoing business performance.
  • 6Investors are advised to consider non-GAAP measures in conjunction with, not as a substitute for, GAAP financial measures.
  • 7Thomas C. Freyman, EVP of Finance and CFO, signed the report.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to announce and provide the company's financial results for the third quarter of 2009. It officially furnishes the press release containing these results to the SEC.

Non-GAAP financial measures, such as net earnings and diluted earnings per share excluding specified items, are financial metrics that exclude certain items from the company's GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) results. Abbott uses them to provide investors with a view of the company's ongoing business performance by adjusting for factors that may be unusual, unpredictable, or not reflective of core operational trends, like acquisition costs or litigation settlements.

No, investors are advised to consider Abbott's non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. GAAP provides a standardized framework, while non-GAAP measures offer management's perspective on performance after certain adjustments.

The detailed Q3 2009 financial results are contained within the press release dated October 14, 2009, which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this 8-K filing and incorporated by reference.