Baxter and Abbott Refuse to be Toppled by Foreign Currency Headwinds

SUGAR LAND--October 16, 2009--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Global pharmaceutical companies Baxter International Incorporated (NYSE:BAX) (Deerfield, Illinois) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) (Abbot Park, Illinois) this week reported earnings for the third quarter of their 2009 fiscal years. Although negative foreign exchange reduced both companies' bottom lines, Abbott and Baxter experienced year-over-year net earnings increases of 36.5% and 12%, respectively. Baxter's net income rose from $476 million in 3Q08 to $532 million in 3Q09, while Abbott's net earnings rose from $1.09 billion in 3Q08 to $1.48 billion in 3Q09.