ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Feb. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today declared a quarterly common dividend of 14 cents per share.

This marks the 357^th consecutive quarterly dividend to be paid by Abbott since 1924.  The cash dividend is payable May 15, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 15, 2013.

Abbott has increased its dividend payout for 40 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for 25 consecutive years.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 70,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

SOURCE Abbott