AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest fell sharply — as of March 31 there were 20,125,180 shares short, down 19.9% from March 15, representing about 1.1% of shares outstanding and a days‑to‑cover of 2.5.
• Company insiders sold material positions — SVP David Ryan Purdue sold 5,230 shares (66.34% reduction) and EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 22,381 shares (36.98% reduction), leaving insiders with just 0.06% ownership.
• Operational and market context: AbbVie beat Q earnings (EPS $2.71 vs. $2.65), set FY‑2026 guidance of 14.37–14.57 EPS, declared a quarterly dividend of $1.73 (3.3% yield) despite a high payout ratio (~293%), and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $253 price target.

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV - Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 20,125,180 shares, a drop of 19.9% from the March 15th total of 25,110,220 shares. Approximately 1.1% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 8,202,339 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP David Ryan Purdue sold 5,230 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.56, for a total value of $1,221,518.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 2,654 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $619,868.24. The trade was a 66.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 22,381 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $5,147,630.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 38,137 shares in the company, valued at $8,771,510. This represents a 36.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AbbVie

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of AbbVie by 17.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 22,912 shares of the company's stock worth $4,072,000 after purchasing an additional 3,401 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of AbbVie by 72.7% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 7,279 shares of the company's stock worth $1,294,000 after purchasing an additional 3,064 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of AbbVie by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 16,466 shares of the company's stock worth $3,056,000 after purchasing an additional 789 shares during the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of AbbVie by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 120,035 shares of the company's stock worth $22,281,000 after purchasing an additional 5,274 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AbbVie by 117.3% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,135,034 shares of the company's stock worth $210,685,000 after purchasing an additional 612,702 shares during the last quarter. 70.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AbbVie News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New clinical catalysts — AbbVie’s Phase 4 head‑to‑head psoriasis study could create a meaningful commercial catalyst if results favor its therapy, supporting upside expectations for market share and pricing power. AbbVie’s Head-to-Head Psoriasis Study Sets Up New Catalyst for ABBV Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion into obesity — AbbVie launched a Phase 1 trial for ABBV‑295, signaling R&D diversification beyond immunology and potential long‑term upside if early data show promise. AbbVie Steps Deeper Into Obesity Market With New Phase 1 ABBV-295 Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Real‑world HCV data could shore up legacy franchise value — retrospective safety/efficacy analyses for Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir may support prescribing and lifecycle value. AbbVie’s Real‑World HCV Study: What G/P Safety Data Could Mean for ABBV Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Value/dividend thesis — bullish retail/analyst pieces argue AbbVie’s strong dividend yield, cash flows, and durable immunology franchises make it attractive to buy on weakness. This supports demand from income-oriented investors. Why AbbVie Is a No-Brainer Stock to Buy on the Dip
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial momentum for Skyrizi and Rinvoq — coverage notes strong sales growth for these franchises, which underpins revenue trajectory and offsets some concerns about valuation and technical weakness. AbbVie Trades Below 50-Day and 200-Day SMA: How to Play the Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Market opportunity context — reports on the Middle East & Africa biosimilars market list AbbVie among players; this highlights long‑term opportunity and competitive pressures from biosimilars but is not an immediate stock mover. Middle East and Africa Biosimilars Market Trends Report 2026-2035, Profiles of AbbVie, Amgen, ...
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector reports (thyroid eye disease) and comparisons to peers — market analyses and a Pfizer vs. AbbVie piece provide framing on relative strengths and risks but add mixed conclusions rather than a clear near-term catalyst. Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment Market Research Report 2026 Featuring Amgen, ... AbbVie vs. Pfizer: One Pharma Dividend Has a Moat — The Other Is Praying for a Pipeline Hit
• Negative Sentiment: Technical pressure — multiple outlets highlight ABBV trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages, a short‑term bearish signal that can trigger further selling by technical traders and funds. That is likely the primary driver of today’s downward price move. AbbVie Trades Below 50-Day and 200-Day SMA: How to Play the Stock

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on ABBV. Berenberg Bank set a $275.00 price objective on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Monday, March 9th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on shares of AbbVie from $250.00 to $240.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of AbbVie from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $253.00.

AbbVie Price Performance

ABBV stock traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $208.29. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,981,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,917,997. AbbVie has a twelve month low of $168.54 and a twelve month high of $244.81. The company's fifty day moving average price is $219.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $223.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 88.26, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.38.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.65 by $0.06. AbbVie had a net margin of 6.91% and a negative return on equity of 1,579.75%. The firm had revenue of $16.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.16 EPS. The company's revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. AbbVie has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.370-14.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.970-3.010 EPS. Equities analysts expect that AbbVie will post 12.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AbbVie Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. AbbVie's payout ratio is presently 293.22%.

AbbVie Company Profile

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company that was created as a spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for complex and often chronic medical conditions. Its operations span research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization, with an emphasis on bringing specialty medicines to market across multiple therapeutic areas.

AbbVie's product portfolio and pipeline cover several major therapeutic categories, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, virology and women's health.

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