Gradient Investments LLC Has $21.44 Million Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Gradient Investments LLC lessened its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 34.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 236,263 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after selling 126,411 shares during the quarter. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $21,438,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Freemont Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 197.2% in the 4th quarter. Freemont Management S.A. now owns 10,700 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 7,100 shares in the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at $116,580,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 24.3% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 246,586 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $30,931,000 after purchasing an additional 48,286 shares in the last quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC raised its position in Abbott Laboratories by 25.0% in the 1st quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 331,920 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $34,078,000 after purchasing an additional 66,422 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: Diagnostics expansion strengthens growth outlook: Abbott is broadening its Diagnostics growth base through its Exact Sciences relationship and oncology testing expansion. Gains in cancer diagnostics and resilient routine testing are helping offset weaker respiratory-related demand, potentially making growth less dependent on COVID and respiratory testing. Here’s How ABT Broadens Diagnostics Growth Base With Oncology Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish: Although ABT has lagged the broader market over the past year, Wall Street analysts continue to view the stock favorably and see further upside potential based on Abbott’s diversified healthcare portfolio and earnings durability. Abbott Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?
• Positive Sentiment: Reliable-growth investment case: An investor letter from Matrix Asset Advisors presents Abbott as a compelling long-term healthcare holding, emphasizing its dependable growth profile and diversified end markets. Broader nutritional-market growth could also support Abbott’s nutrition business over time. What Makes Abbott Laboratories a Compelling Investment Opportunity Global Nutritional Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Value debate remains: Comparisons with Envista (NVST) focus on which medical-products stock offers better value. The coverage may prompt investors to weigh Abbott’s premium valuation against its stronger diversification and consistency, but it does not represent a new company-specific catalyst. NVST vs. ABT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive backdrop: Analysts’ discussion of Abbott alongside other healthcare companies provides sector context, but no major change to Abbott’s outlook is indicated. Boston Scientific’s reduced 2026 guidance could be relatively favorable for Abbott if investors rotate toward companies with steadier execution, though it also underscores competitive pressures in medical devices. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ABT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Daiwa Securities Group downgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $92.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.17.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.1%

Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $107.81 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $186.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.89, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $95.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Abbott Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $81.97 and a fifty-two week high of $137.49.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $12.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.52 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.69%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.26 earnings per share. 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.55%.

Abbott Laboratories 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.