AbbVie Inc.

Section 1: Company Overview and Fundamentals

Company Overview:

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) is a global, diversified research-based biopharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in research and development, manufacturing, commercialization and sale of medicines and therapies. Its product portfolio includes Immunology, Oncology, Aesthetics, Neuroscience, Eye Care and Other Key Products.

Kalkine’s Low Carbon Research Report covers the Investment Highlights, Low Carbon Emission Initiatives, Key Financial Metrics, Risks, and Technical Analysis along with the Valuation, Target Price, and Recommendation on the stock.

Stock Performance:

• The stock has corrected by 9.46% in the last three months, and up 1.39% in past six months.
• The stock is near to mid levels of its 52-week range of USD 218.66 and 52-week low price of USD 153.58. Post the announcement of Q1FY25 results the stock has given a return of approx. 2.74%, with the current price expected to take support from important levels of USD 175-USD 180.
• The price is currently trading slightly below both its long-term (200-day) SMA of 186.07 and its short-term (50-day) SMA of 188.83 , with the current RSI hovering in neutral territoy at 49.67.

1.2 Why do Low Carbon Emissions matter?

The shift toward a low-carbon economy is one of the most significant challenges of current time, spurred by the urgent need to combat climate change and reduce the environmental impact of corporate activities. This report covers the US-listed low-carbon emission company (NYSE: ABBV), that is committed to sustainability and responsible environmental practices.

Carbon and Waste Management - Key Metrics

AbbVie has demonstrated a consistent improvement in environmental efficiency from 2019 to 2023, with total waste per million dollars in revenue decreasing from 1 metric ton in 2019 to 0.56 metric tons in 2023, reflecting a 44% reduction over the period, and total CO2 emissions per million dollars in revenue declining from 16.98 metric tons in 2019 to 10.42 metric tons in 2023, a 38.6% reduction, showcasing the company’s effective waste management and decarbonization strategies, including a 32% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2024 and increased renewable energy sourcing to over 60%, which supports its 2030 science-based targets and enhances its ESG profile for investors.

Peer Comparison: Carbon Emission and Waste Management Metrics

AbbVie Inc. exhibits a mixed environmental performance within the pharmaceutical industry as of May 30, 2025, with CO2 equivalent emissions totaling 56,597,300 metric tons—significantly higher than peers like Bristol-Myers Squibb (367,352 metric tons) and Biogen (88,296 metric tons), indicating a substantial carbon footprint that poses a challenge despite its 2030 target of a 40% emissions reduction, which is less ambitious compared to peers like Johnson & Johnson (83.02%) and Eli Lilly (88.98%); however, AbbVie’s waste recycling ratio of 42% is moderate, trailing behind leaders like Amgen and Gilead Sciences (both at 100%), but its broader ESG efforts, including a 32% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2024 and 41.7% of suppliers setting science-based GHG targets, suggest a committed yet lagging approach to sustainability that investors should weigh against its high emissions profile.

1.2 The Key Positives, Negatives, and Investment summary

1.3 Top 10 shareholders:

The top 10 shareholders together form ~30.94% of the total shareholding, signifying diverse shareholding. The Vanguard Group, Inc. and BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. are the biggest shareholders, holding the maximum stake in the company at 9.80% and 5.15%, respectively.

1.4 Key Metrics

AbbVie’s Q1 FY25 financial metrics reveal a mixed performance with notable improvements in profitability margins but some concerning declines in other key indicators. The gross profit margin increased from 66.7% in Q1 FY24 to 70.0% in Q1 FY25, and the EBITDA margin rose from 41.6% to 45.6%, while the operating margin improved significantly from 24.7% to 30.0%, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency and cost management despite a USD 0.13 per share impact from acquired IPR&D expenses. However, the income before tax margin decreased from 14.3% to 12.5%, and the net margin fell from 11.2% to 9.7%, with a slight rise in the income tax rate from 21.8% to 22.4%, indicating pressures on net profitability, potentially due to higher R&D costs and a 50.6% decline in Humira revenues. Additionally, free cash flow yield (TTM) dropped from 6.8% to 4.2%, suggesting reduced cash generation efficiency, while return on average common equity surged from 55.9% to 88.2%, contrasting with declines in return on average total assets (TTM) from 4.2% to 3.0% and return on invested capital (TTM) from 10.1% to 9.7%, highlighting strong equity returns but weaker asset utilization and overall capital efficiency.

Section 2: Business Updates and Corporate Business Highlights

2.1 Recent Updates:

The below picture gives an overview of the recent updates:

 2.2 Insights of Q1FY25:

Section 3: Key Risks & Outlook

Section 4: Stock Recommendation Summary:

4.1 Price Performance and Technical Summary:

Stock Performance:

• The stock has corrected by 9.46% in the last three months, similarly a return of 1.39% in past six months.
• The stock is near to mid levels of its 52-week range of USD 218.66 and 52-week low price of USD 153.58. Post the announcement of Q1FY25 results the stock has given a retirn of approx. 2.74%, with the current price expected to take support from important levels of USD 175-USD 180.
• The price is currently trading below both its long-term (200-day) SMA and its short-term (50-day) SMA , with the current RSI of 49.67.     

 4.2 Fundamental Valuation

Valuation Methodology: Price/Earnings Per Share Multiple Based Relative Valuation

Markets are trading in a highly volatile zone currently due to certain macroeconomic issues and geopolitical tensions prevailing. Therefore, it is prudent to follow a cautious approach while investing.

Note 1: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Note 2: The reference date for all price data, currency, technical indicators, support, and resistance levels is May 29, 2025. The reference data in this report has been partly sourced from REFINITIV.

Note 3: Investment decisions should be made depending on an individual's appetite for upside potential, risks, holding duration, and any previous holdings. An 'Exit' from the stock can be considered if the Target Price mentioned as per the Valuation and or the technical levels provided has been achieved and is subject to the factors discussed above.

Note 4: The report publishing date is as per the Pacific Time Zone.

Technical Indicators Defined: -

Support: A level at which the stock prices tend to find support if they are falling, and a downtrend may take a pause backed by demand or buying interest. Support 1 refers to the nearby support level for the stock and if the price breaches the level, then Support 2 may act as the crucial support level for the stock.

 Resistance: A level at which the stock prices tend to find resistance when they are rising, and an uptrend may take a pause due to profit booking or selling interest. Resistance 1 refers to the nearby resistance level for the stock and if the price surpasses the level, then Resistance 2 may act as the crucial resistance level for the stock.

 Stop-loss: It is a level to protect against further losses in case of unfavorable movement in the stock prices.