ABBOTT PARK, Ill., June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The board of directors of Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today declared a quarterly common dividend of 44 cents per share.

This marks the 346th consecutive quarterly dividend to be paid by Abbott since 1924. The cash dividend is payable Aug. 15, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 15, 2010.

Abbott has increased its dividend payout for 38 consecutive years and was named by Money as a leading dividend stock. Additionally, Abbott 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, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs approximately 83,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott’s news releases and other information are available on the company’s Web site at www.abbott.com.

SOURCE Abbott