Equitable Holdings Inc. Purchases New Shares in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Equitable Holdings acquired 76,578 Abbott shares during the second quarter, worth approximately $6.95 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 75.18% of Abbott’s stock.
• Abbott exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $1.31 in EPS and $12.59 billion in revenue, with sales up 13% year over year. Management guided for third-quarter 2026 EPS of $1.38–$1.46 and full-year EPS of $5.45–$5.60.
• Abbott pays a quarterly dividend of $0.63, or $2.52 annually, representing a 2.3% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $119.50.

Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 76,578 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock, valued at approximately $6,949,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. J. Stern & Co. LLP grew its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 12,439.6% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 39,319,009 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $4,926,279,000 after acquiring an additional 39,005,451 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $2,938,892,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter worth approximately $1,603,607,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,082,524,000. Finally, Flossbach Von Storch SE purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter valued at approximately $902,938,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of ABT opened at $110.52 on Thursday. Abbott Laboratories has a 52-week low of $81.97 and a 52-week high of $137.49. The stock has a market cap of $191.24 billion, a PE ratio of 35.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.59. The firm's fifty day moving average is $103.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $100.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $12.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.52 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.69%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.26 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th were issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio is presently 81.55%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ABT. BTIG Research increased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $131.00 to $134.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $121.00 to $113.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $121.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $120.00 to $102.00 in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.50.

Abbott Laboratories News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott outperformed the market during the latest trading session, supported by continued investor interest in the diversified healthcare-products maker. Its shares are trading above both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating favorable near-term momentum. Abbott Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott’s latest reported quarter showed solid fundamentals: adjusted earnings exceeded consensus estimates, revenue surpassed expectations, and sales increased 13% year over year. Management’s 2026 earnings guidance remains consistent with analyst expectations, helping support the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research projects continued growth in cardiovascular ultrasound systems through 2030, driven by portable devices, artificial intelligence, 3D/Doppler imaging and remote diagnostics. The opportunity is broadly relevant to Abbott’s cardiovascular-device business, although the report primarily highlights GE HealthCare, Philips and Siemens Healthineers rather than announcing a specific Abbott development. Cardiovascular Ultrasound Systems Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary notes that Abbott has lagged the healthcare sector over the past year, but analysts remain broadly optimistic about its long-term prospects. This creates a mixed backdrop: valuation and relative performance could restrain gains, while analyst confidence and business diversification provide support. Abbott Laboratories Stock: Is ABT Underperforming the Healthcare Sector?

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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