Abbott Laboratories $ABT Stock: Conning Inc. Decreases Holdings

Conning Inc. cut its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 359,586 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after selling 61,871 shares during the period. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $35,538,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,603,607,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter worth approximately $1,082,524,000. Flossbach Von Storch SE bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter worth approximately $902,938,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter worth approximately $732,788,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 4.6% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 152,563,476 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $13,843,610,000 after buying an additional 6,769,518 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 $102.66 on Thursday. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $81.97 and a one year high of $132.02. The company has a market cap of $177.64 billion, a PE ratio of 38.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $104.72 and a 200-day moving average of $102.26. 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 (NYSE:ABT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The healthcare product maker reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.97% and a net margin of 9.75%. The business had revenue of $13.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Abbott Laboratories’s payout ratio is currently 94.03%.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott launched a next-generation Oncodetect test designed to detect residual cancer disease, expanding its diagnostics portfolio and potentially supporting longer-term growth in oncology testing. Abbott Launches Next-Generation Oncodetect Test
• Positive Sentiment: The planned spin-off of Abbott’s Nutrition segment, which generates approximately $8.5 billion in annual sales, could allow the remaining company and the new standalone business to pursue more focused strategies. Abbott has appointed Daniel Salvadori to lead the future Nutrition company. What Could Abbott Laboratories Spin Off Mean for Its Future Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott received approximately $23.9 million in net ETF buying, indicating some continued institutional demand for ABT shares despite recent volatility. Abbott Sees $23.9 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Abbott is included in coverage of Europe’s medical foods market, which is projected to grow from $6.5 billion in 2026 to $7.9 billion by 2033. The outlook highlights a long-term opportunity for Abbott’s specialized nutrition business, though it does not represent new company-specific revenue. Europe Medical Foods Market Strategic Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Argus Research downgraded Abbott from “Buy” to “Hold,” reportedly citing a guidance cut. The change removes a bullish rating catalyst and reinforces investor concerns about near-term demand and earnings visibility. Abbott Downgraded at Argus on Guidance Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Higher interest-rate expectations are creating pressure on richly valued quality-growth stocks such as Abbott, as elevated rates can reduce the value investors assign to future earnings. Demand headwinds and litigation risks are also cited as concerns. Abbott Demand Headwinds and Litigation Risks

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on ABT. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $118.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. BTIG Research lowered their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $134.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $119.00 to $127.00 in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $118.32.

Abbott Laboratories Company Profile

Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of medical products and services. Founded in 1888 by Wallace C. Abbott, the company is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, and serves patients, healthcare providers and consumers in markets around the world.

Abbott operates across four principal businesses: medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition and established pharmaceutical products. Its offerings include glucose-monitoring systems such as FreeStyle Libre; cardiovascular devices, including stents and structural heart products; laboratory and point-of-care diagnostic systems; and branded generic medicines in areas such as gastroenterology, women’s health and cardiometabolic care.

The company’s nutrition portfolio includes infant and pediatric products such as Similac and PediaSure, adult nutritional products such as Ensure, and rehydration products such as Pedialyte.