Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Takes $978,000 Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group purchased 10,773 Abbott Laboratories shares worth approximately $978,000 during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 75.18% of Abbott’s stock.
• Abbott exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.31 in earnings per share and $12.59 billion in revenue, with sales up 13% year over year. The company issued 2026 earnings guidance of $5.45–$5.60 per share.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, giving Abbott a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $119.50, compared with a recent share price of $110.52. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.63, yielding about 2.3% annually.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,773 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock, valued at approximately $978,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $61,869,000. Triton Financial Group Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter valued at $1,587,000. Blue Edge Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter worth $382,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter valued at $1,103,000. Finally, Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter valued at $2,471,000. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

ABT opened at $110.52 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $191.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.77, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.59. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $81.97 and a 1 year high of $137.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $103.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.09.

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

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors 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 currently 81.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $121.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $120.00 to $102.00 in a research note on Friday, June 12th. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $131.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $118.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.50.

More Abbott Laboratories News

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.

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.

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