Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 165,633 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group reduced its stake in Abbott by 4.0%, selling 165,633 shares and retaining 4,025,126 shares worth about $504.3M (~0.23% ownership).
• A Chicago jury ordered Abbott to pay $53 million in a preterm infant formula case and short interest rose ~19.4% to ~23.8M shares, elevating litigation and headline-driven downside risk.
• Analysts still lean positive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and a ~$134.58 price target, while Abbott declared a quarterly dividend of $0.63 (2.5% yield).

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Free Report) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,025,126 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock after selling 165,633 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Abbott Laboratories worth $504,308,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Bridge Generations Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the third quarter worth $33,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy on ABT and kept a $137 price target, citing a resilient MedTech and diagnostics mix that supports Abbott's path to 2026 targets. TipRanks: TD Cowen Note
• Positive Sentiment: Citi recently initiated/maintained a Buy on ABT (coverage note reported), providing analyst support that can limit downside from headline risk. Globe & Mail: Citi Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighting Abbott as a dividend-king value/attractive yield may draw income-focused buyers who view current weakness as a buying opportunity. MarketBeat: Dividend King
• Neutral Sentiment: Abbott published consumer survey PR on chronic disease prevention (brand/marketing relevance). Useful for positioning but unlikely to move the stock materially in the short term. PR Newswire: Survey
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street previews note mixed expectations ahead of upcoming earnings (EPS growth expected but edge cases for a beat are limited), so the report could produce volatility but not a clear directional catalyst yet. Yahoo: Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: A Chicago jury ordered Abbott to pay $53 million in compensatory damages in a preterm infant formula trial — a headline legal loss that raises litigation risk and investor concern about reputational and settlement exposure. Reuters: Jury Verdict
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose sharply in March (up ~19.4% vs. mid‑March), bringing total shorted shares to ~23.8M and a ~1.6 days-to-cover — increased bearish positioning can amplify downward moves on negative headlines.
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore trimmed its price target (reported) and broader healthcare stocks were weaker today, adding sector pressure; analyst and macro pressure can compound headline-driven selling. American Banking News: Evercore PT Cut

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Elizabeth C. Cushman sold 263 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $30,397.54. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 38,573 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,458,267.34. This represents a 0.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Mary K. Moreland sold 613 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $70,850.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 104,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,053,953.78. This trade represents a 0.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. Insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $100.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $174.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $99.34 and a 12 month high of $139.06. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $108.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.86.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50. The business had revenue of $11.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The business's revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 earnings per share. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio is 67.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $131.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $154.00 to $125.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Leerink Partners lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $119.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $136.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.58.

Abbott Laboratories Company 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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