(Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) reported better-than-expected quarterly profit and sales, helped by growth across its businesses and device launches.
The diversified healthcare company reported net earnings of $418 million, or 23 cents per share, in the quarter ended March 31, compared to $419 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier.
Net sales rose to $7.39 billion from $6.34 billion.
Excluding items, Abbott reported a profit of 59 cents per share.
Analysts on average had expected profit of 58 cents per share on revenue of $7.29 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Profit from Abbott’s medical device business - its largest division - continued to benefit from its $25 billion purchase of St. Jude Medical. Sales for the unit rose 14.6 percent to $2.74 billion in the quarter.
Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber
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