New England Research & Management Inc. Acquires 13,240 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• New England Research & Management Inc. increased its Abbott (ABT) stake by 128.1% in Q4, buying 13,240 shares to hold 23,574 shares worth about $2.95M, making ABT 1.3% of the firm's portfolio and its 20th-largest position.
• Abbott reported Q4 EPS of $1.50 (in line) but revenue of $11.46B missed estimates, issued FY2026 guidance of $5.55–$5.80 EPS, and has a consensus "Moderate Buy" analyst target of $136.16 amid several recent price cuts.
• Abbott expects to close its acquisition of Exact Sciences on March 23, 2026, a strategic move to expand its diagnostics and cancer-screening business that could drive longer-term growth.

New England Research & Management Inc. increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 128.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,574 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after buying an additional 13,240 shares during the period. Abbott Laboratories accounts for 1.3% of New England Research & Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. New England Research & Management Inc.'s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $2,954,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ABT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter worth $3,026,180,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 13,347.0% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,056,934 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $823,804,000 after purchasing an additional 6,011,891 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 51.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,951,907 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $1,868,718,000 after purchasing an additional 4,713,135 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 180.7% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,063,443 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $416,659,000 after purchasing an additional 1,972,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 51.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,525,906 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $740,140,000 after purchasing an additional 1,865,250 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus reduced their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $140.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Leerink Partners cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $119.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore reduced their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $144.00 to $138.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $147.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $136.16.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 1.5%

ABT stock opened at $105.58 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $183.88 billion, a PE ratio of 28.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.58. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $105.27 and a one year high of $139.06. The company's 50 day moving average price is $112.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $123.03.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.50. The company had revenue of $11.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.34 EPS. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.120-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.550-5.800 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.74%.

More Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott expects to close its acquisition of Exact Sciences on March 23, 2026, after receiving all regulatory clearances — a major strategic move that immediately expands Abbott’s presence in cancer screening and diagnostics and could drive revenue growth over time. Abbott acquisition of Exact Sciences set to close on March 23, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage and commentary highlight the strategic expansion into diagnostics with Exact Sciences, positioning Abbott to capture a larger share of growing cancer-screening markets — a long-term revenue and pipeline positive. Abbott NYSE: ABT Expands Diagnostics With Exact Sciences Amid S&P 500 Futures
• Positive Sentiment: Independent bullish write-ups (syndicated on Yahoo/InsiderMonkey) recap a bullish thesis on ABT, citing valuation metrics and growth potential tied to diagnostics exposure — such coverage can support investor interest and longer-term upside. Is Abbott Laboratories (ABT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/theme-level research (UBS longevity thematic piece) frames aging and longevity as structural tailwinds for companies exposed to diagnostics and chronic-care solutions; this supports ABT’s long-term thesis but is not an immediate catalyst. Transformational Opportunities: UBS Suggests 2 Longevity Stocks to Buy as the $8T Aging Boom Accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Healthcare stocks pulled back late Friday, dragging ABT with the sector; broader sector weakness can amplify short-term downside even when company-specific news is positive. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Retreat Late Afternoon
• Negative Sentiment: Relative underperformance versus peers was noted in market reports — investors may be trimming ABT into the acquisition close due to integration, execution and dilution concerns. Abbott Laboratories stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors

Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $102,288.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,918,253.66. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Eric Shroff sold 709 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $81,946.22. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 39,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,526,575.12. The trade was a 1.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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