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

Key Points

• Analysts assign Abbott a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from 21 firms (15 buys, 4 holds, 2 strong buys) with an average 1‑year price target of $134.58.
• Several brokers have trimmed price targets (e.g., Goldman to $121 from $140, Daiwa to $113), while Barclays raised its target to $144, producing mixed near‑term sentiment.
• Abbott's quarter met EPS at $1.50 but showed a revenue miss ($11.46B vs. $11.80B expected); management guided Q1 2026 EPS to 1.120–1.180 and FY2026 to 5.550–5.800 and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.63 (2.4% yield).

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $134.5789.

ABT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $113.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $121.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $147.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $131.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on ABT to $144 and keeps an “overweight” view, a bullish signal that likely helped buying interest. Abbott Laboratories price target raised by Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Abbott as a “dividend king on sale” (value/dividend investors) increases interest from income-focused buyers given its long track record of payout consistency. A Dividend King on Sale: Is Abbott Labs a Healthcare Bargain?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several sell‑side analysts remain constructive (maintaining buy/outperform ratings) but trimmed targets modestly (Evercore to $134 from $138; BTIG similar), which is mixed news — keeps analyst support but reduces implied upside. Evercore ISI and BTIG Lower Abbott (ABT) Price Targets, Maintain Positive Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media note the stock’s recent underperformance versus the broader market even as it edges up intraday — an important context for short‑term momentum traders. Abbott Laboratories stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms market
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target sharply to $121 from $140 (still a “buy”), a downgrade in expectation that can pressure sentiment and cap near‑term gains. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Abbott Laboratories to $121 from $140; maintains buy rating
• Negative Sentiment: Analyses flag recent share weakness (down materially over the past 1–3 months) and fading momentum; fundamental concerns include a modest revenue shortfall in the last quarter despite EPS in line and only modest FY guidance — reasons some investors remain cautious. Assessing Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Valuation After Recent Share Price Weakness

Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 1.8%

ABT opened at $103.70 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $180.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.88, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.79. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $100.88 and a twelve month high of $139.06. The company's 50-day moving average price is $109.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.35.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50. The firm had revenue of $11.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.34 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.120-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.550-5.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Abbott Laboratories's payout ratio is 67.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP John A. Jr. Mccoy sold 585 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $67,614.30. Following the sale, the vice president owned 24,628 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,846,504.24. The trade was a 2.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $102,288.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,918,253.66. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Abbott Laboratories

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ABT. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the company's stock.

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.

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