It's official: Abbott Laboratories' (NYSE:ABT) board of directors has approved the company's spinoff of its pharmaceuticals division to form the new company, AbbVie. The approval was expected, of course, but the announcement has given investors some much-awaited details regarding how AbbVie shares will be distributed among current shareholders. In this video, Motley Fool health care analyst Brenton Flynn tells us what the distribution will be, when it's going to take place, and when to make sure you either buy Abbott or sell -- if you'd like to be a part of the transition or avoid it altogether. Also, he discusses what we can expect the stock to do when the first of the year comes -- and why it will be nothing to worry about.
It's Official -- Abbott Labs Will Change Forever
By Brenton Flynn and Max Macaluso – Nov 29, 2012 at 5:30PM
NYSE: ABT
Abbott Laboratories

Market Cap
$217B
Today's Change
(0.55%) $0.68
Current Price
$125.11
Price as of October 30, 2025 at 12:59 PM ET
The details are in: here's everything every Abbott Labs investor needs to know about the upcoming spinoff.