Man Group plc Takes $72.66 Million Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Man Group acquired 800,719 Abbott shares in the second quarter, representing a position worth approximately $72.66 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.18% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $119.50; several firms recently set targets between $112 and $130.
• Abbott reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.31 and revenue of $12.59 billion, beating estimates, while revenue grew 13% year over year. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.63, equating to a 2.3% annual yield.

Man Group plc bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 800,719 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock, valued at approximately $72,657,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Freemont Management S.A. grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 197.2% during the 4th quarter. Freemont Management S.A. now owns 10,700 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 7,100 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 246,586 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $30,931,000 after purchasing an additional 48,286 shares during the last quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 25.0% during the first quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 331,920 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $34,078,000 after purchasing an additional 66,422 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,439,000. Finally, Thompson Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 786.0% in the second quarter. Thompson Investment Management Inc. now owns 14,061 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $1,276,000 after buying an additional 12,474 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ABT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. 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. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $109.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $119.50.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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?

Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE:ABT opened at $110.52 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $103.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.09. The stock has a market cap of $191.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $81.97 and a 12 month high of $137.49.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.03. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.69%. The company had revenue of $12.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.26 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratories's quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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 predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th were given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio is currently 81.55%.

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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