Erste Group Bank Has Pessimistic View of ABT FY2027 Earnings

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank slightly cut its FY2027 EPS estimate for Abbott to $6.24 (from $6.25), versus the current consensus full‑year estimate of $5.14.
• Several analysts (Oppenheimer, Leerink, Evercore, Argus, Piper Sandler) have trimmed price targets recently, leaving a consensus target of $135.47 and an average rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Abbott reported Q4 EPS of $1.50 (in line) but missed revenue at $11.46B versus $11.80B expected, and provided Q1 2026 guidance of $1.120–$1.180 and FY2026 guidance of $5.550–$5.800.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) - Erste Group Bank reduced their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note issued on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the healthcare product maker will post earnings of $6.24 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $6.25. The consensus estimate for Abbott Laboratories' current full-year earnings is $5.14 per share.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.50. The firm had revenue of $11.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.73% and a net margin of 14.72%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.34 EPS. 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.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Leerink Partners dropped their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $119.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore dropped their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $138.00 to $134.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Argus decreased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.47.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $101.77 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $177.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.79. Abbott Laboratories has a 1-year low of $100.88 and a 1-year high of $139.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $109.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.47.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Elizabeth C. Cushman sold 263 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $30,397.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 38,573 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,458,267.34. This represents a 0.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mary K. Moreland sold 613 shares of the 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 $70,850.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 104,291 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,053,953.78. The trade was a 0.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097 in the last quarter. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.74%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.