Waddell & Associates LLC Acquires 6,907 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Waddell & Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 208.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 10,214 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,907 shares during the quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $927,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter worth 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 purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE ABT opened at $111.27 on Friday. Abbott Laboratories has a 12-month low of $81.97 and a 12-month high of $137.49. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $97.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $99.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $192.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $12.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.52 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.69% and a net margin of 11.65%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.26 EPS. 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. As a group, analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories’s payout ratio is currently 81.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $121.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America dropped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $120.00 to $102.00 in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $121.00 to $113.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $118.67.

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.