Abbott Laboratories Shares Cross 2% Yield Mark

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, in trading on Wednesday, shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) were yielding above the 2% mark based on its quarterly dividend (annualized to $0.88), with the stock changing hands as low as $43.94 on the day. Dividends are particularly important for investors to consider, because historically speaking dividends have provided a considerable share of the stock market's total return. To illustrate, suppose for example you purchased...