Abbott Laboratories $ABT Shares Purchased by North Star Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• North Star Asset Management increased its Abbott Laboratories stake by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 316,783 shares worth about $39.7 million. Abbott now represents roughly 1.6% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Abbott reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.15 versus $1.14 expected and revenue of $11.16 billion versus $10.99 billion expected. Revenue rose 7.8% year over year, and the company reiterated guidance for FY 2026 and Q2 2026.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally positive: several firms cut price targets, yet the stock still carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a $119.43 average target. Insider activity was also split, with one executive selling shares while a director bought 10,000 shares.

North Star Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 4.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 316,783 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after acquiring an additional 12,271 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories accounts for about 1.6% of North Star Asset Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. North Star Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $39,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Bridge Generations Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Copia Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $87.42 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $96.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $112.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.49, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.65. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $81.97 and a 12 month high of $139.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.99 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.90% and a return on equity of 17.62%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.09 EPS. 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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group cut shares of Abbott Laboratories from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $92.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $122.00 to $109.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $108.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Argus cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.43.

More Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: A TipRanks roundup highlighted Abbott as one of three “Strong Buy” dividend aristocrat stocks with more than 15% upside potential, which may support investor confidence in the name. 3 ‘Strong Buy’ Dividend Aristocrat Stocks with 15%+ Upside, 5/22/26
• Positive Sentiment: Another piece argued that Abbott’s Lingo wearable and increased cardiovascular R&D could strengthen its long-term growth outlook by expanding its health-tech and diagnostics footprint. Abbott’s Lingo Wearable And Cardio R&D Reframe Long Term Growth Story
• Neutral Sentiment: One market note said traders are waiting for more clarity on integration results, suggesting investors are in a “show-me” phase rather than fully repricing the stock higher. Waiting on Integration Result, Market Stays Moderated on Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
• Negative Sentiment: Another article said Abbott has been “slid” in part because its nutrition segment is sensitive to consumer spending trends, highlighting macro pressure on a key business line. Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Slid Due To Its Nutrition Segment’s Sensitivity to Consumer Spending Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reportedly removed Abbott from its U.S. Conviction List, which may weigh on sentiment even though it does not change the company’s fundamentals. Why UnitedHealth (UNH) Remains a Turnaround Bet Despite Policy and Cost Pressure

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $102,288.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,918,253.66. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks acquired 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $92.65 per share, for a total transaction of $926,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 6,751,103 shares in the company, valued at $625,489,692.95. This trade represents a 0.15% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories 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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