Company Description: Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Vascular Products. The Pharmaceutical Products segment offers adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, dyslipidemia, HIV infection, hypothyroidism, advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, anemia, obesity, epilepsy and bipolar disorder, migraines, secondary hyperparathyroidism, gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal and gastric ulcers, and erosive esophagitis, as well as provides anesthesia products and anti-infectives. The Diagnostic Products segment offers immunoassay systems; chemistry systems; assays used for screening and/or diagnosis for drugs of abuse, cancer, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, physiological, and infectious diseases; instruments that automate the extraction, purification, and preparation of DNA and RNA from patient samples, and detect and measure infections agents; genomic-based tests; hematology systems and reagents; and point-of-care diagnostic systems and tests for blood analysis. The Nutritional Products segment provides a line of pediatric and adult nutritional products. The Vascular Products segment offers coronary, endovascular, and vessel closure devices, such as drug-eluting coronary stent systems, coronary metallic stents, balloon dilatation products, coronary guidewires, vessel closure devices, and carotid stent systems to treat vascular disease. Additionally, the company provides blood glucose monitoring meters, test strips, data management software, and accessories for people with diabetes; and medical devices for the eye, including cataract surgery, lasik surgery, contact lens, and dry eye products. Abbott Laboratories was founded in 1888 and is based in Abbott Park, Illinois.

Our Analysis: The shares of Abbott Laboratories 'ABT' gapped lower on the open of trading yesterday. They finished they day by closing below a pair of support levels on heavier than normal trading volume. This is a bearish trading signal. The shares of 'ABT' should continue to move lower and test $47..33/share, the point from which they gapped higher on the open of trading on September 28th of last year. If the shares of 'ABT' close below that level then they should continue to move lower and test $43.63/share, a point of downside support established on August 6th of last year. I see upside resistance on the shares of 'ABT' @ $48.72/share, and have set my stops accordingly @ $49.13/share.