Quick Summary
- First-quarter adjusted earnings reached $2.65 per share, surpassing the analyst consensus of $2.59
- Quarterly revenue totaled $15 billion, marking a 12% year-over-year increase and beating the $14.72 billion estimate
- The immunology division expanded 16%, while neuroscience surged 26% during the period
- Annual 2026 adjusted EPS forecast increased to $14.08–$14.28 from the previous $13.96–$14.16 range
- Shares of ABBV climbed 2.5% in premarket hours, clawing back a portion of its 13% year-to-date loss
Heading into Wednesday’s quarterly report, AbbVie shares were nursing a 13% year-to-date decline. By the time the numbers were released, the pharmaceutical company had given investors fresh reasons for optimism.
The biopharmaceutical firm delivered first-quarter adjusted profit of $2.65 per share, climbing from $2.46 in the comparable period last year and exceeding the $2.59 Street estimate. Total revenue reached $15 billion, representing a 12% year-over-year gain and topping analyst projections of $14.72 billion.
ABBV shares advanced 2.5% to $202.63 during premarket activity in response to the quarterly performance.
The revenue outperformance was primarily fueled by strength across two major business segments. The immunology franchise recorded 16% growth, while the neuroscience division delivered an even more impressive 26% expansion.
Within immunology, Skyrizi and Rinvoq remained the primary growth drivers. Skyrizi, which treats conditions including arthritis and Crohn’s disease, saw revenue climb 31% year-over-year. Rinvoq contributed with 23% growth during the same timeframe.
This robust performance helped offset a steep 39% revenue drop from Humira. The former blockbuster medication faces mounting competition from biosimilar alternatives, and its role in the overall product mix continues to diminish.
Upgraded Annual Forecast
AbbVie increased its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings per share projection to $14.08–$14.28, compared to the earlier forecast of $13.96–$14.16. The Wall Street consensus currently stands at $14.12, placing the new guidance midpoint modestly above analyst expectations.
The upward revision reflects management’s growing confidence in sustained performance from its immunology and neuroscience product portfolios.
On a GAAP accounting basis, quarterly net income totaled $695 million, or $0.39 per diluted share. This compares to $1.29 billion, or $0.72 per share, reported in the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year GAAP earnings decline incorporates expenses excluded from adjusted metrics.
What This Means for ABBV Investors
The stock had faced headwinds coming into this earnings announcement, carrying a 13% year-to-date loss as of Tuesday’s market close.
The 2.5% premarket advance indicates that market participants responded favorably to both the earnings beat and upgraded guidance, although the shares still need to make up considerable lost ground.
Skyrizi and Rinvoq have unmistakably emerged as the primary growth catalysts in AbbVie’s product lineup, with their combined expansion more than compensating for Humira’s continued decline.
The neuroscience segment is establishing itself as an increasingly important revenue source. The 26% quarterly growth rate in this division demonstrates meaningful progress outside the flagship immunology business.
AbbVie’s adjusted earnings of $2.65 per share represented the second straight quarter of year-over-year improvement on this measure, leaving the prior-year result of $2.46 decisively behind.
The company’s updated guidance band of $14.08–$14.28 in adjusted earnings per share now serves as the official full-year target that market participants will monitor throughout the remainder of 2026.
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