Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Stock Price

Key Points

• Barclays trimmed its price target on Abbott from $144 to $143 while keeping an "overweight" rating, with that target implying roughly a 49% upside from the stock's current price (~$96).
• A broad group of brokerages have cut their price targets (e.g., Mizuho, RBC, Wells Fargo, Bernstein), leaving a consensus target of about $120.95 and driving near‑term bearish sentiment despite an average analyst rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Abbott slightly beat Q1 estimates with $1.15 EPS and revenue of $11.16B (+7.8% YoY), set FY2026 guidance of 5.38–5.58 EPS, and saw insider buying (director purchased 10,000 shares), presenting mixed fundamental and insider signals amid the sell‑side downgrades.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Barclays from $144.00 to $143.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the healthcare product maker's stock. Barclays's price target indicates a potential upside of 49.00% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings cut Abbott Laboratories from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Benchmark decreased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $121.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $120.95.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE ABT opened at $95.98 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $167.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.93, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $107.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.55. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $93.92 and a 1 year high of $139.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.18.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.71% and a net margin of 13.90%.The company had revenue of $11.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. Abbott Laboratories's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $108.73 per share, for a total transaction of $1,087,300.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,738,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $732,711,572.41. This trade represents a 0.15% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Eric Shroff sold 709 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $81,946.22. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 39,164 shares in the company, valued at $4,526,575.12. The trade was a 1.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. Insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Gemmer Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Gemmer Asset Management LLC now owns 2,750 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $368,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 3.3% during the third quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC now owns 2,469 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp lifted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.4% in the third quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp now owns 21,875 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $2,930,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. American National Bank of Texas boosted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. American National Bank of Texas now owns 3,408 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $427,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nia Impact Advisors LLC grew its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nia Impact Advisors LLC now owns 3,706 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $504,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysis pieces argue the sell‑off may have created a buying opportunity for long‑term investors; 247WallStreet says valuation and Abbott’s diversified healthcare footprint make current levels attractive depending on your time horizon. Has the Abbott Laboratories Sell-Off Finally Created an Entry Point?
• Positive Sentiment: The Motley Fool lists Abbott among two healthcare stocks worth buying at a discount, highlighting its long track record and the recent market pullback as a potential accumulation window. Market Crash: 2 Healthcare Stocks Worth Loading Up on at a Discount
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reiterated a "Buy" rating on ABT, providing a counterpoint to the downgrades and offering some support from the buy‑side analyst community. Abbott Laboratories' (ABT) "Buy" Rating Reiterated at BTIG Research
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary roundups (e.g., The Globe and Mail) provide broader sector context and mixed takes on Abbott’s businesses; useful for background but not a single directional catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Abbott Laboratories (ABT) and BioAge Labs, Inc. (BIOA)
• Negative Sentiment: A broad slate of brokerages cut ABT price targets today — signaling lowered near‑term expectations and adding selling pressure. Notable cuts include Mizuho ($115), RBC ($130), Piper Sandler ($115), Wells Fargo ($109), Bernstein ($110), Evercore ($120), JPMorgan ($110), Oppenheimer ($115), Jefferies ($135), Benchmark ($120), Citigroup ($108), TD Cowen ($115), Bank of America ($120) and Stifel ($120). These calls are driving bearish sentiment and likely account for much of the downward move. Mizuho Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $115.00 Royal Bank Of Canada Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $130.00 Piper Sandler Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $115.00 Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $109.00 Sanford C. Bernstein Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $110.00 Evercore Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $120.00 JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $110.00 Oppenheimer Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $115.00 Jefferies Financial Group Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $135.00 Benchmark Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $120.00 Citigroup Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $108.00 TD Cowen Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $115.00 Bank of America Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $120.00 Stifel Nicolaus Cuts Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT Price Target to $120.00

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.

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