# How Abbott Laboratories (ABT) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/abt
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on ABT alone. It places ABT (Abbott Laboratories) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where ABT stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: ABT's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** The slide is ABT's own: it is 23.9% below its high, against 1.3% for the S&P 500. Not every peer went the same way. Over the past 3 months, ISRG (Intuitive Surgical) rose 24.0% and COO (Cooper Companies) fell 17.4%.
- **Stock or market?:** ABT rose 1.6% over the past 3 months, 5.8 points behind the medical devices ETF IHI (iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF), which rose 7.5%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its medical device peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: ISRG (Intuitive Surgical) rose 24.0%, while COO (Cooper Companies) fell 17.4%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, ABT fell 18.7% while the S&P 500 rose 15.8%. The same gap shows up over 3 years (13.0% against 89.3%).
- **Long term:** ABT turned $10,000 into $30,400 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** ABT fell less than the S&P 500 in five of seven sell-offs, but the 2022 bear market broke the pattern: it fell 27.9%, more than the S&P 500's 24.5%.
- **Diversification:** When the S&P 500 had a down month, ABT usually fell with it (18 of 22 months). On the flip side, about 16% of ABT's month-to-month variation tracks the S&P 500. The rest is its own. That is mostly its own path.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years: 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** NVS (Novartis, pharmaceuticals) and TAK (Takeda Pharmaceutical, pharmaceuticals) earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years. NVS returned 17.1% a year at 20.7% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%.
  - **Whole market:** 901 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF), VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway).

## How much would $10,000 in ABT have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in ABT over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of ABT over the same span and ABT's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in ABT at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $130,278 by September 2026, less than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Six of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of ABT, and RMD finished highest, at $1,650,038.

## ABT at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- ABT is still 23.9% below its all-time high.
- ABT's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 45.7%, from January to July 2002. It took about four years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, ABT's best was 2017, when it returned 52.0%, and its worst was 2002, when it lost 26.8%. It lost money in seven of those years.

- Type: Stock, Healthcare (Medical - Devices)
- Trading since: October 17, 1986
- Market value: $178B
- Volatility (5 years): 23.1%; Sharpe ratio: 0.04
- Worst decline ever: −45.7%, from January 31, 2002 to July 23, 2002; back at its high by August 15, 2006

| Period | ABT total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +0.3% |
| 3 months | +1.6% |
| 6 months | +8.4% |
| year to date | −15.3% |
| 1 year | −18.7% |
| 3 years | +13.0% |
| 5 years | −8.0% |
| 10 years | +204% |

## ABT against the whole market

Where ABT ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does ABT rank among all stocks?

This section ranks ABT on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- ABT's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 7% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.
- ABT's 1-year return ranks in the bottom 21% of the 3,287 stocks worth at least $300 million with 1 year of history.

| Measure | ABT | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | −18.7% | 2,610 of 3,287 (top 80%) |
| 3-year return | +13.0% | 2,121 of 3,017 (top 71%) |
| 5-year return | −8.0% | 1,834 of 2,893 (top 64%) |
| 10-year return | +204% | 847 of 2,202 (top 39%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 23.1% | 218 of 2,893 (top 8%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.04 | 2,248 of 2,893 (top 78%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −39.6% | 145 of 2,187 (top 7%) |

### What has beaten ABT on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 107 stocks and 794 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than ABT over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 25% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half ABT's swings, DXJ has the best return for its risk: 26.6% a year at 19.1% volatility, 17% less than ABT's 23.1%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.34 against 0.04 for ABT.
- Among ABT's popular alternatives, JNJ is in the region. JNJ earned 12.7% a year against a loss of 1.7% a year for ABT, at 17.9% volatility, 22% less than ABT's 23.1%.

### Is there a better investment than ABT?

The table below lists investments that beat ABT over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among ABT's popular alternatives, JNJ earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years: 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, NVS (pharmaceuticals) and TAK (pharmaceuticals) earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years. NVS returned 17.1% a year at 20.7% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%.
- Across the whole market, 901 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI, VOO and BRK-B.

The 15 strongest of 901 investments that beat ABT over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with ABT | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ABT: Abbott Laboratories (this page) |  | −1.7% | 23.1% | 0.04 | −39.6% | +204% |  |  |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | Gold | +17.7% | 18.9% | 0.96 | −26.4% | +213% | 0.22 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [VOO](https://easycompare.io/research/voo): Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +12.8% | 16.9% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +324% | 0.39 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.57 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.54 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [PG](https://easycompare.io/research/pg): The Procter & Gamble Company | Household & Personal Products | +5.1% | 18.3% | 0.37 | −23.8% | +145% | 0.45 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VIG](https://easycompare.io/research/vig): Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | US Dividend Equity | +10.4% | 14.1% | 0.78 | −31.7% | +258% | 0.58 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [SCHD](https://easycompare.io/research/schd): Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | US Dividend Equity | +9.7% | 14.3% | 0.72 | −33.4% | +252% | 0.53 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [IWF](https://easycompare.io/research/iwf): iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | US Large-Cap Growth | +11.7% | 21.8% | 0.62 | −32.7% | +416% | 0.24 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VT](https://easycompare.io/research/vt): Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equity | +10.3% | 16.2% | 0.69 | −34.2% | +223% | 0.44 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [DFAC](https://easycompare.io/research/dfac): Dimensional - US Core Equity 2 ETF | US Total Market | +11.4% | 17.0% | 0.72 | −23.1% | — | 0.44 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [RSG](https://easycompare.io/research/rsg): Republic Services, Inc. | Environmental Services | +13.9% | 18.5% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +446% | 0.61 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [UL](https://easycompare.io/research/ul): Unilever PLC | Household & Personal Products | +5.5% | 21.5% | 0.36 | −30.1% | +89.8% | 0.52 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| PJUL: Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF | Broad Market | +10.5% | 8.6% | 1.20 | −18.2% | — | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| FJAN: FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January | Multi-Asset | +11.1% | 10.5% | 1.05 | −13.6% | — | 0.34 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [CL](https://easycompare.io/research/cl): Colgate-Palmolive Company | Household & Personal Products | +7.2% | 19.2% | 0.46 | −29.0% | +68.8% | 0.39 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |

## ABT against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against ABT, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do ABT's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Only JNJ was both more rewarding and calmer than ABT over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- 13 of the 23 popular alternatives earned less than ABT over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, ABT returned -1.7% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (23.1% against 17.1%).

### Has ABT consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares ABT with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Six of the 24 popular alternatives, led by LLY, TMO and RMD, outperformed ABT in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- LLY, TMO and RMD outperformed ABT in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- LLY and JNJ earned more for the risk they took than ABT (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of ABT | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ABT: Abbott Laboratories (this page) | −18.7% | +13.0% | −8.0% | +204% |  |  | 0.04 |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | +59.7% | +124% | +451% | +1,807% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.21 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | +26.8% | +49.5% | +15.1% | +366% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.24 |
| RMD: ResMed Inc. | −8.6% | +75.3% | −1.7% | +331% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.15 |
| [ISRG](https://easycompare.io/research/isrg): Intuitive Surgical, Inc. | −4.5% | +64.1% | +28.9% | +478% | 3/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | consistent | 0.32 |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | +36.9% | +84.6% | +82.1% | +196% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.76 |
| [CVS](https://easycompare.io/research/cvs): CVS Health Corp. | +18.5% | +52.5% | +29.2% | +47.0% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.32 |
| [SYK](https://easycompare.io/research/syk): Stryker Corporation | −19.2% | +18.0% | +17.2% | +197% | 2/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.25 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | +8.3% | +10.8% | −17.6% | +232% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.01 |
| [BDX](https://easycompare.io/research/bdx): Becton, Dickinson and Company | +32.3% | +1.6% | +12.2% | +71.4% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.22 |
| [MDT](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt): Medtronic Plc | +1.9% | +43.6% | −8.8% | +46.7% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.03 |
| ICUI: ICU Medical, Inc. | +37.3% | +49.0% | −30.5% | +12.5% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.02 |
| DXCM: DexCom, Inc. | +25.3% | −0.3% | −38.4% | +316% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.04 |
| [EW](https://easycompare.io/research/ew): Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | +17.3% | +27.1% | −23.6% | +125% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.01 |
| PHG: Koninklijke Philips N.V. | −5.1% | +65.1% | −29.5% | +31.7% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.00 |
| [BSX](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx): Boston Scientific Corporation | −54.7% | −8.9% | +2.5% | +98.1% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.15 |
| PODD: Insulet Corp. | −56.4% | −1.4% | −52.2% | +255% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | -0.12 |
| BAX: Baxter International Inc. | +6.2% | −20.7% | −66.7% | −40.7% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.45 |
| ZBH: Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | −5.6% | −5.5% | −31.1% | −16.1% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.14 |
| ALGN: Align Technology, Inc. | +11.5% | −44.2% | −75.3% | +64.4% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.30 |
| TFX: Teleflex Incorporated | +1.6% | −28.1% | −63.4% | −17.4% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.41 |
| GEHC: GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. | −6.8% | +10.1% | — | — | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | — |
| COO: The Cooper Companies, Inc. | −21.2% | −27.1% | −42.3% | +32.5% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.21 |
| TNDM: Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | +6.3% | −14.5% | −87.0% | −76.4% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.25 |
| [NVO](https://easycompare.io/research/nvo): Novo Nordisk A/S | −28.5% | −57.0% | −18.5% | +134% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.09 |

### How did ABT do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where ABT ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- ABT finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 14 of its 29 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last four.
- Among its popular alternatives, ISRG came out ahead of ABT most often, in 17 of the 25 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, ABT finished in the top quarter in five of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in five. In 2025, it ranked 6 of 25.

| Year | ABT | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +12.9% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +4.8% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +2.3% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −20.7% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +30.5% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +28.1% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +22.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | +29.1% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +52.0% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | −12.3% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How ABT has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were ABT's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all four of ABT's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: ABT fell 43.3% from April 1999 to January 2000, while the S&P 500 rose 5.4%.
- The slowest recovery came after ABT fell 45.7% from January to July 2002; it did not regain that peak until August 2006, four years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −45.7% | January 31, 2002 | July 23, 2002 | August 15, 2006 | −28.9% | dot-com bust |
| −43.3% | April 23, 1999 | January 25, 2000 | October 27, 2000 | +5.4% |  |
| −39.6% | March 3, 2025 | May 11, 2026 | not yet | +28.5% |  |
| −34.6% | March 24, 1987 | November 30, 1987 | July 19, 1989 | — |  |
| −33.9% | December 27, 2021 | October 12, 2023 | February 20, 2025 | −6.6% | 2022 bear market |

### How did ABT do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far ABT, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- ABT fell less than the S&P 500 in seven of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when ABT fell 22.3% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
- Among its popular alternatives, LLY held up best, falling less than ABT in seven of the ten crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | ABT fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −45.7% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −22.3% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −0.5% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −11.5% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −27.4% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −8.8% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −11.7% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −29.7% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −27.9% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −2.5% | −3.4% |

### How closely does ABT move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- LLY took just 6% of the S&P 500's losses, against 79% for ABT, while still keeping 101% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, ABT captured 76% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 79% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.64. Its share of the market's losses was slightly larger than its share of the gains.
- Seven of the 23 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than ABT's 0.96, led by LLY, JNJ and RMD.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ABT: Abbott Laboratories (this page) | 76.0% | 79.0% | 0.64 |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | 101% | 6.0% | 0.37 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 104% | 104% | 0.81 |
| RMD: ResMed Inc. | 91.0% | 89.0% | 0.56 |
| [ISRG](https://easycompare.io/research/isrg): Intuitive Surgical, Inc. | 136% | 154% | 1.28 |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | 64.0% | 53.0% | 0.46 |
| [CVS](https://easycompare.io/research/cvs): CVS Health Corp. | 59.0% | 99.0% | 0.70 |
| [SYK](https://easycompare.io/research/syk): Stryker Corporation | 82.0% | 96.0% | 0.88 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | 84.0% | 84.0% | 0.75 |
| [BDX](https://easycompare.io/research/bdx): Becton, Dickinson and Company | 53.0% | 77.0% | 0.48 |
| [MDT](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt): Medtronic Plc | 62.0% | 105% | 0.68 |
| ICUI: ICU Medical, Inc. | 78.0% | 136% | 0.69 |
| DXCM: DexCom, Inc. | 97.0% | 97.0% | 1.13 |
| [EW](https://easycompare.io/research/ew): Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | 88.0% | 120% | 0.97 |
| PHG: Koninklijke Philips N.V. | 75.0% | 134% | 0.80 |
| [BSX](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx): Boston Scientific Corporation | 76.0% | 109% | 0.72 |
| PODD: Insulet Corp. | 81.0% | 82.0% | 0.92 |
| BAX: Baxter International Inc. | 45.0% | 125% | 0.64 |
| ZBH: Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | 62.0% | 139% | 0.88 |
| ALGN: Align Technology, Inc. | 144% | 243% | 1.70 |
| TFX: Teleflex Incorporated | 79.0% | 170% | 1.01 |
| COO: The Cooper Companies, Inc. | 78.0% | 137% | 0.85 |
| TNDM: Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | 35.0% | 172% | 1.00 |
| [NVO](https://easycompare.io/research/nvo): Novo Nordisk A/S | 75.0% | 94.0% | 0.60 |

### What diversifies ABT?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in ABT into DXJ would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 17% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (-1.6% for ABT alone, +4.1% for the mix).
- XLE made money in five of the seven calendar years in which ABT lost money.
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, EMLP and EWP have moved largely independently of ABT over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.47 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with ABT | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in ABT's 7 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.19 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 2 of 7 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.44 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 2 of 7 |
| EWP: iShares MSCI Spain ETF | 0.47 | +140% | 20.3% | 0.97 | 1 of 7 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | -0.01 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 3 of 7 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.49 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 1 of 7 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.22 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 4 of 7 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.22 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 1 of 7 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.21 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 5 of 7 |

## Common questions

### What was ABT's worst drawdown?

ABT's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 45.7%, from January to July 2002. It took about four years from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were ABT's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, ABT's best year was 2017, when it returned 52.0%. Its worst was 2002, with a return of -26.8%.

### Is there a better investment than ABT?

Among ABT's popular alternatives, JNJ earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years: 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, NVS (pharmaceuticals) and TAK (pharmaceuticals) earned more than ABT with less volatility over the past 5 years. NVS returned 17.1% a year at 20.7% volatility, against a loss of 1.7% a year at 23.1%.

### Is ABT more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. ABT's volatility over the past 5 years was 23.1%, 1.3 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ABT's return lands within 23.1% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is ABT's Sharpe ratio?

ABT's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.04, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so ABT earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is ABT with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, ABT's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.39 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against ABT instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ABT holding.

### What are the best alternatives to ABT?

Of the 24 popular alternatives we compared, six outperformed ABT in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: LLY, TMO and RMD.

### Did ABT outperform the S&P 500?

ABT finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +12.9%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did ABT do in stock market crashes?

ABT fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in seven of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in three. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when ABT fell 22.3% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies ABT?

These had a low correlation with ABT over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.19), EMLP (correlation 0.44) and EWP (correlation 0.47); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.36), CLS (correlation -0.01) and FIX (correlation 0.02). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/lly)
- [Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo)
- [Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/isrg)
- [Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj)
- [CVS Health (CVS) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/cvs)
- [Stryker (SYK) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/syk)
- [Danaher (DHR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr)
- [Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bdx)
- [Medtronic (MDT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt)
- [Edwards Lifesciences (EW) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ew)
- [Boston Scientific (BSX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx)
- [Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvo)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/abt
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against ABT live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=ABT&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research