Abbott Laboratories (ABT) reported disappointing quarterly revenue ahead of Wall Street expectations in pre-market trading on Wednesday, primarily due to the strong demand for its medical devices being unable to offset weaknesses in its diagnostics and nutritional product segments. In its earnings guidance, the company slightly lowered its earnings per share outlook, reflecting the negative expectations associated with uncertainties stemming from the Trump administration's policies. Following the release of these results, Abbott's stock fell nearly 3% in pre-market trading. According to LSEG data, Abbott's overall revenue for the third quarter, ending September 30, was approximately $11.37 billion, slightly below analysts' average forecast of $11.40 billion. However, the diagnostics division, which mainly sells convenient testing products for COVID-19 and diabetes, unexpectedly saw a sales decline of 6.6% to $2.25 billion, below Wall Street analysts' average expectation of $2.29 billion. Driven by strong demand for continuous glucose monitoring systems and advanced cardiac devices, Abbott's sales in its medical device division rose by 14.8% to $5.45 billion in the third quarter. Major players in the American healthcare sector are encountering headwinds from normalizing demand post-COVID-19 and regulatory challenges like the Trump administration's freeze on external economic support, impacting their overall sales growth outlook. On an adjusted basis, Abbott's earnings per share for the third quarter were $1.30, in line with Wall Street analysts' average projections. The company now expects its full-year adjusted EPS to range between $5.12 and $5.18, compared to the previous range of $5.10 to $5.20, indicating a downward revision of earnings per share expectations due to uncertainties surrounding tariffs and regulations. Last month, the Trump administration launched a comprehensive investigation into medical device imports under Section 232 of the U.S. Antitrust Act, raising the possibility of new tariffs on the industry and increasing scrutiny of foreign medical supply chains. Abbott also stated that its previous expectation of less than $200 million impact from tariffs for this year remains unchanged. While Abbott's medical device segment showed resilience (notably in diabetes and cardiovascular devices), it could not fully offset the aforementioned challenges. Furthermore, Abbott's earnings guidance was narrowly revised and reiterated, suggesting that the company's performance issues are more related to product mix and normalization of cycles, rather than a collapse in demand due to the frequent changes in regulatory policies since Trump's re-election in January.