Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Reduces Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 12.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,261 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after selling 8,985 shares during the quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $5,559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ABT. Freemont Management S.A. increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 197.2% in the fourth quarter. Freemont Management S.A. now owns 10,700 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $1,341,000 after buying an additional 7,100 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $116,580,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 24.3% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 246,586 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $30,931,000 after acquiring an additional 48,286 shares in the last quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 25.0% during the first quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 331,920 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $34,078,000 after purchasing an additional 66,422 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 23.9% in the fourth quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 88,784 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $11,124,000 after purchasing an additional 17,137 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of ABT opened at $111.27 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $97.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $99.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. Abbott Laboratories has a 52-week low of $81.97 and a 52-week high of $137.49.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.03. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.69%. The company had revenue of $12.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.26 EPS. Abbott Laboratories’s revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.380-1.46 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.60 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.55%.

Key Stories Impacting Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet AI partnership expands Abbott’s growth opportunity: Abbott and Alphabet announced a multiyear collaboration integrating data from Abbott’s over-the-counter Lingo continuous glucose monitor into the Google Health app. Google’s AI Health Coach is expected to use the data to provide personalized recommendations, potentially increasing Lingo adoption and strengthening Abbott’s position in consumer digital health. Can Abbott Laboratories’ Lingo Partnership With Alphabet Unlock a New Era of AI-Powered Health?
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research upgraded ABT to Outperform: The firm raised its rating from “Peer Perform” and set a $130 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The upgrade indicates improving analyst confidence in Abbott’s earnings durability and growth prospects.
• Positive Sentiment: Established Pharmaceuticals remains a growth driver: Abbott’s Established Pharmaceutical Products division is benefiting from emerging-market demand, a broad branded-generics portfolio and biosimilar opportunities. This provides diversification beyond the company’s medical-device businesses. What’s Backing Abbott’s Established Pharmaceuticals Division Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent trading strength reflects broad investor support: Abbott outperformed some medical-product peers during a recent strong market session, while bullish commentary has highlighted the company’s diversified portfolio and long-term growth potential. Abbott Laboratories Stock Outperforms Competitors on Strong Trading Day
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a potential constraint: With a forward-looking earnings multiple above 36 and the stock already well above its recent moving averages, further gains may require continued earnings execution and evidence that newer initiatives such as Lingo can materially contribute to revenue.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on ABT shares. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $121.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $109.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Argus decreased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Barclays lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $144.00 to $143.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Leerink Partners reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $106.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $118.67.

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.