Shareholder FAQ

Yes. The Abbott Dividend Reinvestment Program offers registered shareholders the opportunity to purchase additional shares, commission-free, through automatic dividend reinvestment and/or optional cash investments. Interested persons may contact Abbott’s transfer agent, Computershare, at (888) 332-2268.

To join this plan, you must hold at least one share registered in your name. Since Abbott does not offer a direct purchase plan, you must contact a stockbroker to purchase your initial share(s). If your broker holds your shares in street name, you are not eligible to join Abbott’s dividend reinvestment plan until you have the shares transferred into your name. Contact your broker to request such a transfer.

For registered shareholders only, cash purchases can be made through this plan.

Click here for more details on the Dividend Reinvestment Program. 

If the Board of Directors decide and approve of a dividend payout, dividends are paid quarterly on Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15 and Nov. 15 to shareholders of record who own stock approximately 30 days before these pay dates.

Shareholders may have quarterly dividends deposited directly into a checking or savings account at any financial institution that participates in the Automated Clearing House system. Interested persons may contact Abbott’s transfer agent, Computershare, at (888) 332-2268.

If the Board of Directors decide and approve of a dividend payout, dividends are paid quarterly on Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15 and Nov. 15 to shareholders of record who own stock approximately 30 days before these pay dates.

Shareholders may have quarterly dividends deposited directly into a checking or savings account at any financial institution that participates in the Automated Clearing House system. Interested persons may contact Abbott’s transfer agent, Computershare, at (888) 332-2268.

You are a registered shareholder if you receive a dividend check directly from the issuing company. If your broker holds your shares in an account for you and receives dividends on your behalf, your shares are in street name.

Abbott’s annual meeting is typically held on the Friday of the last full week of April at Abbott’s corporate headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois.

Abbott's earnings announcements are held in January, April, July and October. To receive information on when the announcement has been scheduled, please sign up for the Events email alert. 

You may view Abbott’s most recent annual report online. To order a printed copy of the report, call Abbott’s Investor Newsline at (224) 667-7300 or fill out the online request form. 

Effective August 15, 2008, Abbott began using the Direct Registration system (DRS) for its shares, a paperless form of stock ownership commonly referred to as “book entry” that allows your shares to be held in your name and tracked electronically. You retain full ownership of your shares without having to hold a paper stock certificate.

Shares held in book entry have all the traditional rights and privileges as shares held in certificate form. Furthermore, by keeping your shares in book entry, you do not have to worry about protecting your stock certificates from loss, theft or destruction. Book entry ownership also allows for electronic shares transactions, such as ownership transfers, sales and moving shares to or from a broker.

If you have any questions, please contact Computershare at:

Computershare Trust Co., NA
P.O. Box 43078
Providence, RI 02940-3078
(888) 332-2268 (toll free)
www.computershare.com

For those years that Abbott is designated by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as a “High Impact Business”, dividends received by Illinois residents are eligible for the subtraction modification treatment for their Illinois base income. The current year letter can be found in the Dividend History page.

Note: This letter only applies to “registered” shareholders, who are Illinois residents.

Click here for details on the St. Jude Medical transaction.

Escheatment is the process of identifying shareholder accounts that are considered abandoned and remitting the assets to the appropriate state authority.

To ensure your Abbott stock and/or uncashed dividend checks do not get turned over to the state as abandoned property, please contact Computershare, or your outside brokerage firm(s), on an annual basis via phone, in writing, and/or by signing into your on-line account(s).  

Cashing all dividend checks and voting your Proxy shares will also keep your account active and keep your assets from being escheated.