Abbott Laboratories (ABT) will raise its quarterly dividend by 9.1 percent to $0.48 per share in 2011. This follows a 10.0 percent dividend increase by the Dividend Aristocrat last year. Abbott has paid consecutive quarterly dividends since 1924.

Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company with a portfolio of science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals. The company's products include pharmaceuticals, nutritional, diagnostics, and vascular products. The Pharmaceutical Products segment includes a range of branded generic pharmaceuticals. Abbott’s Nutritional Products include a range of pediatric and adult nutritional products.