Bessemer Group Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 1.6% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 1,013,900 shares worth about $104.1 million.
• Abbott reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings, with EPS of $1.31 topping estimates, and raised its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to $5.45-$5.60.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.63 per share, and several analysts responded positively by lifting price targets or reiterating bullish ratings after the earnings update.

Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,013,900 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after acquiring an additional 16,135 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.06% of Abbott Laboratories worth $104,098,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 175,556,716 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $21,995,501,000 after acquiring an additional 2,402,408 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 79,853,782 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $10,004,880,000 after purchasing an additional 1,627,791 shares during the period. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 63,229,445 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $7,922,519,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614,706 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 12,439.6% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 39,319,009 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $4,926,279,000 after buying an additional 39,005,451 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 39,169,239 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $4,907,523,000 after buying an additional 400,400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott beat Q2 earnings expectations and raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $5.45-$5.60, signaling better profit momentum for the rest of the year. Abbott Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full-Year EPS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to stronger second-half demand across multiple businesses, including nutrition, medical devices, diagnostics, and diabetes care, which supports a faster growth profile. ABT Q2 Earnings Call Flags Stronger Second-Half Setup
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the results, with JPMorgan, Citi, Piper Sandler, Wells Fargo, TD Cowen, BTIG, and RBC all lifting targets or reaffirming bullish views. These Analysts Increase Their Forecasts On Abbott Following Better-Than-Expected Q2 Results

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 acquisition, the director owned 6,751,103 shares in the company, valued at approximately $625,489,692.95. This trade represents a 0.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Philip P. Boudreau acquired 2,200 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $91.50 per share, for a total transaction of $201,300.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 2,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at $201,300. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $100.71 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $89.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $175.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.59, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.61. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $81.97 and a 1 year high of $137.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.39.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.03. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.65%. The firm had revenue of $12.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.26 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratories's revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.380-1.46 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.60 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio is 70.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on ABT. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 17th. BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $131.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Evercore lowered their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $134.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 17th. Raymond James Financial cut their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $115.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $121.00 to $113.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $118.61.

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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