Legal & General Group Plc Lowers Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Legal & General Group Plc reduced its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, though it still held about 12.6 million shares valued at roughly $1.58 billion.
• Abbott reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.15 on revenue of $11.16 billion, both ahead of analyst estimates. Revenue rose 7.8% year over year, and the company reaffirmed upbeat guidance for FY 2026 and Q2 2026.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive but mixed: several firms cut price targets, while the stock’s overall rating is still Moderate Buy with a consensus target of $119.43. Insider activity was also mixed, with the CFO buying shares even as another executive sold stock.

Legal & General Group Plc lessened its stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 2.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,620,564 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after selling 279,754 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.73% of Abbott Laboratories worth $1,581,230,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ABT. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Bridge Generations Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE ABT opened at $87.42 on Monday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $96.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $111.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a market cap of $152.27 billion, a PE 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.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. The firm 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau bought 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $91.50 per share, for a total transaction of $201,300.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $201,300. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $102,288.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 146,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,918,253.66. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Key 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $123.00 to $110.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Leerink Partners decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $106.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Freedom Capital raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.43.

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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