Healthcare stocks have lagged the broader market this year as investors chased higher-growth names in tech and AI. Dividend payers, in particular, have taken a hit amid shifting rate expectations and sector-specific hiccups. That backdrop sets up an interesting opportunity for income seekers who prize consistency over flash.
Take Abbott Laboratories (ABT). The stock sits 26% below its 52-week high of $139.06, trading near $102 per share. When will it bounce back? The short answer: the fundamentals already point higher, and the pullback looks more like a buying window than a warning sign.
