Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-six brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $119.0870.

ABT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Freedom Capital upgraded Abbott Laboratories from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $86.19 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The business has a 50-day moving average of $94.92 and a 200 day moving average of $110.87. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $81.97 and a 12 month high of $139.06.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.99 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.90% and a return on equity of 17.62%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott secured CE Mark approval in Europe for Libre Duo, the world’s first dual glucose-ketone sensing technology for diabetes care, which could broaden its addressable market and strengthen its diabetes device franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The American Cancer Society reaffirmed Abbott’s noninvasive colorectal cancer screening products, Cologuard and Cologuard Plus, as preferred options for average-risk adults, supporting demand for the company’s screening portfolio. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott also won FDA and EU clearance for its AI-powered Ultreon 3.0 software, which helps guide artery stent placement and could support growth in its cardiovascular business. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused articles reiterated that Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Abbott, and Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating even after trimming its price target to $113 from $121. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on Abbott’s diagnostics unit pointed to a mixed quarter, with Core Lab growth offset by China weakness and softer respiratory testing demand, suggesting uneven near-term performance in the segment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some market coverage noted that Abbott’s shares fell in a recent session despite a broader market uptick, reflecting lingering pressure even as fundamental news flow turns more favorable. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Abbott Laboratories news, Director Daniel J. Starks bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $92.65 per share, with a total value of $926,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 6,751,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $625,489,692.95. This represents a 0.15% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $102,288.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,918,253.66. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

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.