Abbott Labs -- Not AbbVie -- Is Acting Like a Spinoff

Earnings season is off and running, and that means many golden opportunities to check in with the most important stocks in the health care industry.

With new U.S. health care policies going into effect, pressures from European austerity pressuring sales in the Old World, and large but often uncertain opportunities presented in developing markets, there's a lot of noise to distract investors from company-specific dynamics at work.

In the following video, health care bureau chief Brenton Flynn tries to cut through the noise and offers some of his key takeaways from last week's Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT  ) and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) earnings reports. In addition, he discusses why Abbott Labs is behaving more like a spinoff than the newly formed AbbVie.

For Abbott Labs shareholders, the new year brought with it a new company called AbbVie. Formerly Abbott's branded pharmaceuticals business, shares of the new stock were distributed to investors on Jan. 2. To help investors better understand the situation, The Fool has created a brand new premium report on both stocks. Inside, we outline all of the must-know opportunities and risks facing both companies, so make sure to claim this report by clicking here now.