Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 53,123 Shares of AbbVie Inc. $ABBV

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group trimmed its AbbVie stake by 34.8%, selling 53,123 shares in Q3 and leaving it with 99,673 shares valued at about $23.08 million.
• AbbVie beat Q4 estimates and raised guidance, setting FY2026 EPS at 14.37–14.57 and reporting 10% year‑over‑year revenue growth, supporting analyst optimism and a consensus target near $253.15.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.73 (annualized $6.92, ~3.0% yield) but faces leverage concerns after an $8 billion senior notes offering and a very high payout ratio (~293%), which may heighten investor risk.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its position in AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV - Free Report) by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 99,673 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,123 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in AbbVie were worth $23,078,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ABBV. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its position in AbbVie by 0.8% in the third quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 5,334 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,235,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA grew its stake in AbbVie by 0.3% during the third quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 15,382 shares of the company's stock worth $3,562,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Matthew Goff Investment Advisor LLC increased its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 0.3% during the third quarter. Matthew Goff Investment Advisor LLC now owns 17,561 shares of the company's stock worth $4,066,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 2.2% during the third quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 2,089 shares of the company's stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Willner & Heller LLC raised its stake in shares of AbbVie by 0.6% in the third quarter. Willner & Heller LLC now owns 7,596 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,759,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company's stock.

AbbVie Price Performance

ABBV opened at $230.41 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $407.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 97.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.34. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $224.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.21. AbbVie Inc. has a one year low of $164.39 and a one year high of $244.81.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.65 by $0.06. AbbVie had a net margin of 6.91% and a negative return on equity of 1,579.75%. The firm had revenue of $16.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.16 EPS. AbbVie's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. AbbVie has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.370-14.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.970-3.010 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that AbbVie Inc. will post 12.31 EPS for the current year.

AbbVie Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. AbbVie's payout ratio is presently 293.22%.

Insider Transactions at AbbVie

In related news, SVP David Ryan Purdue sold 5,230 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.56, for a total value of $1,221,518.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 2,654 shares in the company, valued at $619,868.24. This represents a 66.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 22,381 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $5,147,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,137 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,771,510. This trade represents a 36.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $223.00 target price on shares of AbbVie in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Berenberg Bank set a $275.00 price target on AbbVie in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AbbVie from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on AbbVie from $289.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on AbbVie in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $260.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $253.15.

Key Headlines Impacting AbbVie

Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and raised FY/Q1 outlook — AbbVie posted better‑than‑expected Q4 EPS and revenue and gave FY‑2026 guidance (14.37–14.57 EPS), supporting the bull case for continued top‑line and EPS growth. AbbVie (ABBV): Buy, sell, or hold post Q4 earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline catalysts: neuroscience momentum and new approvals could drive revenue — the neuroscience unit generated ~$10.8B in 2025 and analysts see upside to ~$12.5B in 2026 as Vyalev ramps and tavapadon awaits FDA review. Will AbbVie's Neuroscience Segment Continue to Aid Top Line in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase‑3 SKYRIZI Crohn’s data strengthens the immunology franchise and expands commercial potential for risankizumab. This data is a material upside to long‑term revenue expectations for immunology products. Did Positive Phase 3 SKYRIZI Crohn’s Data Just Shift AbbVie’s (ABBV) Immunology Investment Narrative?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market attention: some bullish writeups call ABBV a core, buy‑and‑hold dividend name and note the stock has rallied since earnings — supportive for sentiment but already reflected in recent gains. AbbVie: The only big pharma stock I'd consider a buy-and-never-sell
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational investment: AbbVie will spend $380M to expand its North Chicago campus — a long‑term capacity/R&D bet that supports future growth but increases near‑term capex. AbbVie to invest $380 million in North Chicago campus to make next generation medicines
• Negative Sentiment: Debt issuance: AbbVie completed an $8B senior notes offering, which increases leverage and raises capital‑structure risk that investors may price in, especially given the company’s already elevated payout metrics. AbbVie Completes $8 Billion Senior Notes Financing Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend and leverage concerns: analysts caution that a very high payout ratio and significant debt levels warrant caution for income investors despite strong free cash flow. That raises risk of multiple compression if growth slows. Dividend Stock Analysis - Abbvie Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price pressure: recent sessions show ABBV underperforming the wider market on profit‑taking and macro moves, which can amplify volatility after the post‑earnings run. AbbVie (ABBV) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights

AbbVie Company Profile

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company that was created as a spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for complex and often chronic medical conditions. Its operations span research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization, with an emphasis on bringing specialty medicines to market across multiple therapeutic areas.

AbbVie's product portfolio and pipeline cover several major therapeutic categories, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, virology and women's health.

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