DZ Bank Upgrades AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) to “Strong-Buy”

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) was upgraded by research analysts at DZ Bank from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on ABBV. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of AbbVie from $299.00 to $294.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $260.00 price target for the company. Bank of America upgraded shares of AbbVie from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $234.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $252.90.

AbbVie Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:ABBV traded down $4.69 on Thursday, reaching $206.63. 6,339,492 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,641,580. The business’s 50-day moving average is $214.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $221.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $365.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 101.79, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.38. AbbVie has a fifty-two week low of $176.57 and a fifty-two week high of $244.81.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.72 billion. AbbVie had a net margin of 5.79% and a negative return on equity of 911.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.46 earnings per share. Analysts predict that AbbVie will post 14.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AbbVie

In related news, EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 22,381 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $5,147,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,137 shares in the company, valued at $8,771,510. This represents a 36.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP David Ryan Purdue sold 5,230 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.56, for a total transaction of $1,221,518.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,654 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $619,868.24. This represents a 66.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AbbVie

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust grew its position in AbbVie by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 7,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of AbbVie by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 2,089 shares of the company’s stock valued at $484,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Eclectic Associates Inc. ADV boosted its position in shares of AbbVie by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Eclectic Associates Inc. ADV now owns 5,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,337,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of AbbVie by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC now owns 125 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Weil Company Inc. boosted its position in shares of AbbVie by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Weil Company Inc. now owns 2,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

More AbbVie News

Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat and guidance lift — AbbVie topped Q1 estimates, raised its 2026 outlook and said immunology drugs (Skyrizi, Rinvoq) are offsetting Humira declines. This is the core positive catalyst supporting analyst upgrades. Seeking Alpha: AbbVie hikes 2026 outlook BioSpace: AbbVie tops Q1, raises outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Sell‑side upgrades and higher price targets — Multiple firms raised ratings/targets after the results (Morgan Stanley to $278, Canaccord to $265, Guggenheim reaffirm/ $249 PT, Bank of America upgraded to Buy/$234, Cantor reiterated Overweight/$240). These lifts signal renewed analyst conviction in AbbVie’s post‑Humira pivot. Benzinga: analyst moves InsiderMonkey: BofA upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Skyrizi competitive defense — AbbVie outlined how Skyrizi will respond to new J&J plaque‑psoriasis rival Icotyde, reinforcing confidence in market share retention for a key growth driver. FiercePharma: Skyrizi defense
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate R&D/community engagement — AbbVie awarded the AbbVie Biotech Innovators prize to RIME Therapeutics (Quebec), signalling long‑term commitment to immunology innovation, but limited near‑term financial impact. GlobeNewswire: RIME award
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain jittery despite the beat — WSJ coverage and market commentary highlight that, while results were strong, concerns over Humira erosion, execution risk on acquisitions/pipeline strategy, and valuation keep sentiment cautious and likely drove selling pressure. YouTube/WSJ: Investors still worried
• Negative Sentiment: Pipeline trimming and insider selling — The company discontinued a cancer candidate (noted in Q1 coverage) and recent disclosures show insiders sold shares, which can weigh on near‑term sentiment. BioSpace: discontinued candidate
• Negative Sentiment: Small analyst estimate cuts and mixed institutional flows — Erste trimmed FY2026/27 EPS modestly; recent large institutional portfolio shifts (some big sellers) add uncertainty to demand. These are headwinds for the stock near term. MarketBeat: analyst/flows summary

AbbVie Company Profile

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company that was created as a spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for complex and often chronic medical conditions. Its operations span research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization, with an emphasis on bringing specialty medicines to market across multiple therapeutic areas.

AbbVie’s product portfolio and pipeline cover several major therapeutic categories, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, virology and women’s health.