North Star Asset Management Inc. Boosts Stake in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

North Star Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 316,783 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,271 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories accounts for about 1.6% of North Star Asset Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. North Star Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $39,690,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 175,556,716 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $21,995,501,000 after purchasing an additional 2,402,408 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 61,614,739 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $8,251,974,000 after purchasing an additional 1,478,076 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 51.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,951,907 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $1,868,718,000 after purchasing an additional 4,713,135 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 13,500,829 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $1,804,050,000 after purchasing an additional 499,351 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 12,900,318 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $1,727,869,000 after purchasing an additional 864,531 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other news, Director Daniel J. Starks purchased 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $92.65 per share, with a total value of $926,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 6,751,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $625,489,692.95. This trade represents a 0.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $102,288.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares in the company, valued at $16,918,253.66. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: A TipRanks roundup highlighted Abbott as one of three “Strong Buy” dividend aristocrat stocks with more than 15% upside potential, which may support investor confidence in the name. 3 ‘Strong Buy’ Dividend Aristocrat Stocks with 15%+ Upside, 5/22/26
• Positive Sentiment: Another piece argued that Abbott’s Lingo wearable and increased cardiovascular R&D could strengthen its long-term growth outlook by expanding its health-tech and diagnostics footprint. Abbott’s Lingo Wearable And Cardio R&D Reframe Long Term Growth Story
• Neutral Sentiment: One market note said traders are waiting for more clarity on integration results, suggesting investors are in a “show-me” phase rather than fully repricing the stock higher. Waiting on Integration Result, Market Stays Moderated on Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
• Negative Sentiment: Another article said Abbott has been “slid” in part because its nutrition segment is sensitive to consumer spending trends, highlighting macro pressure on a key business line. Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Slid Due To Its Nutrition Segment’s Sensitivity to Consumer Spending Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reportedly removed Abbott from its U.S. Conviction List, which may weigh on sentiment even though it does not change the company’s fundamentals. Why UnitedHealth (UNH) Remains a Turnaround Bet Despite Policy and Cost Pressure

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $87.42 on Friday. Abbott Laboratories has a 12-month low of $81.97 and a 12-month high of $139.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $96.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $112.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.90% and a return on equity of 17.62%. The company had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.99 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ABT shares. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Abbott Laboratories from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $123.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Leerink Partners lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $106.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.43.

Abbott Laboratories Company Profile

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.