Big acquisition bolsters this dividend

Article Excerpt

We only added U.S.-based drugmaker AbbVie to our Dividend Advisor coverage in March 2021, but the shares are already up 10%. The company’s massive purchase of rival drugmaker Allergan in 2020 adds risk. However, the deal gave AbbVie a much broader array of products, as well as a much deeper pipeline of new drugs in development. In fact, AbbVie is so confident in its future prospects that it just announced an 8.5% hike to your dividend. We see more ahead. ABBVIE INC. $119 is a buy. The company (New York symbol ABBV; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $214.2 billion; Dividend yield: 4.7%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.abbvie.com) makes medical devices, diagnostic tests, pediatric and adult nutritional products, and generic drugs. AbbVie took its current form on January 3, 2013, when Abbott Laboratories (New York symbol ABT) split into two publicly traded firms. AbbVie has raised its dividend each year since 2013. The next increase comes in February 2022 when the quarterly payment rises…