MUFG Securities EMEA plc Buys 37,972 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc more than doubled its Abbott Laboratories stake in the fourth quarter, buying 37,972 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 71,286 shares worth about $8.93 million.
• Abbott reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.15 versus $1.14 expected and revenue of $11.16 billion, up 7.8% year over year. The company also guided FY 2026 EPS to $5.38-$5.58.
• Several analysts trimmed price targets on ABT, but the stock still carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $119.09. Recent insider buying by the CFO and a director may signal management confidence.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 114.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,286 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after buying an additional 37,972 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $8,931,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Bridge Generations Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.3%

ABT stock opened at $85.36 on Monday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $94.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $110.58. Abbott Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $81.97 and a fifty-two week high of $139.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $148.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.63.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.99 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.62% and a net margin of 13.90%.The firm'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 earned $1.09 EPS. 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. On average, research analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ABT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $122.00 to $109.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Benchmark dropped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Daiwa Securities Group downgraded Abbott Laboratories from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $92.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $131.00 price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.09.

Key Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott recently secured FDA and EU approval for its AI-powered Ultreon 3.0 tool, which could support growth in its cardiovascular imaging business and add to its medical technology momentum. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott also obtained CE mark clearance for its Libre Duo glucose-ketone monitor, expanding its diabetes technology lineup and reinforcing innovation in one of its key growth categories. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighting strong Wall Street views on Abbott suggests analysts remain constructive on the stock’s long-term prospects, but the articles do not point to a new upgrade or a near-term earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that investors have been searching for Abbott more heavily, which can reflect increased interest, but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One comparison piece argued Boston Scientific may offer more upside than Abbott, which can weigh on ABT sentiment by implying investors may prefer a rival medtech name right now. Article Title

Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau purchased 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $91.50 per share, for a total transaction of $201,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 2,200 shares in the company, valued at $201,300. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks purchased 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $92.65 per share, for a total transaction of $926,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 6,751,103 shares of the company's stock, valued at $625,489,692.95. The trade was a 0.15% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report).

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.