Riverbridge Partners LLC Purchases 6,459 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Riverbridge Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 61.4% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 16,987 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,459 shares during the period. Riverbridge Partners LLC’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $158.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $123.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau acquired 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $91.50 per share, for a total transaction of $201,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 2,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $201,300. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $92.65 per share, with a total value of $926,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 6,751,103 shares in the company, valued at $625,489,692.95. The trade was a 0.15% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

NYSE:ABT opened at $90.46 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $157.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.34, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.63. The business has a 50 day moving average of $89.39 and a 200 day moving average of $105.69. 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 has a 1-year low of $81.97 and a 1-year high of $138.84.

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

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.59%.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott signed a global licensing agreement with ALZpath to incorporate its pTau217 antibody into a blood-based Alzheimer’s diagnostic, a potentially meaningful addition to Abbott’s diagnostics portfolio. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted growing momentum in Abbott’s emerging markets and EPD business, supported by branded generics demand, biosimilar expansion, and new approvals, which points to continued international growth. Article
• Positive Sentiment: MiniMed’s launch of Abbott Instinct sensors across European markets expands Abbott’s diabetes technology reach and reinforces the company’s connected care ecosystem. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott was also featured in bullish commentary as a durable dividend aristocrat with 54 straight years of dividend increases, which may be supporting investor sentiment around the stock. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Abbott continued to draw investor and analyst attention, with articles noting strong interest and a “Moderate Buy” consensus, but these are more sentiment indicators than new fundamental developments. Zacks article
• Negative Sentiment: A Missouri appeals court decision allowing Abbott’s $495 million preterm baby formula verdict appeal to remain in place keeps a major legal overhang on the shares. Article

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.