Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $119.4348.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ABT shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Abbott Laboratories from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $123.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Freedom Capital raised Abbott Laboratories from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Benchmark cut their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $122.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 3.2%

ABT opened at $84.24 on Monday. Abbott Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $84.08 and a fifty-two week high of $139.06. The business has a 50-day moving average of $102.69 and a 200-day moving average of $115.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company has a market capitalization of $146.72 billion, a PE ratio of 23.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.65.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.62% and a net margin of 13.90%.The company had revenue of $11.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Abbott Laboratories has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.380-5.580 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.310 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s payout ratio is currently 70.59%.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Abbott Laboratories this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott’s Medical Devices segment delivered 8.5% Q1 growth, with electrophysiology, rhythm management, and heart failure products driving gains. That reinforces the company’s long-term growth story and suggests its device portfolio remains a key catalyst for ABT. Abbott’s Medical Device Strategy Supports Long-Term Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain bullish on Abbott Laboratories despite its recent underperformance versus the broader market, which can help cushion sentiment around the stock. Abbott Laboratories Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its Buy rating on ABT, adding to the view that analysts still see upside potential despite near-term weakness. Wells Fargo Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate for Abbott to $5.47 from $5.48, which is only a minor change and close to consensus, so the impact looks limited. Abbott Laboratories news item referencing Erste Group Bank estimate reduction
• Negative Sentiment: ABT has underperformed over the past year, and recent share-price weakness has kept investors focused on whether the stock is now cheap rather than on a strong near-term rebound. Is Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Now Offering Value After Recent Share Price Weakness?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Abbott Laboratories news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau purchased 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $91.50 per share, with a total value of $201,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $201,300. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mary K. Moreland sold 613 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $70,850.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 104,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,053,953.78. This represents a 0.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Abbott Laboratories

Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of medical products and services. Founded in 1888, Abbott operates through multiple business areas that focus on diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and established pharmaceuticals. The company supplies hospitals, clinics, laboratories, retailers and direct-to-consumer channels with products intended to diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of health conditions.

In diagnostics, Abbott provides laboratory and point-of-care testing platforms and assays used to detect infectious diseases, chronic conditions and biomarkers; its Alinity family of instruments and rapid-test solutions are examples of this capability.