Insider Buying: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Director Buys 10,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Director Daniel Starks bought 10,000 shares at an average price of $92.65 (≈$926,500), raising his stake to 6,751,103 shares, per an SEC Form 4 filing.
• Abbott slightly beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.15 vs. $1.14) and set FY26 guidance of $5.38–$5.58 EPS, but warned the <$21B Exact Sciences acquisition> will dilute FY26 EPS by about $0.20, which has pressured sentiment.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.63 (annualized $2.52, yield ~2.7%), while shares trade near their one-year low (~$90.72) and analysts hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target of ~$119.43.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) Director Daniel Starks bought 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $92.65 per share, for a total transaction of $926,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 6,751,103 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $625,489,692.95. The trade was a 0.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ABT traded up $1.00 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $93.80. 11,541,627 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,689,052. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $105.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $116.55. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $90.72 and a one year high of $139.06. The stock has a market cap of $163.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.71% and a net margin of 13.90%.The firm had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.99 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.59%.

Key Headlines Impacting Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Citi reaffirmed its buy rating on ABT, reinforcing institutional confidence that the company’s long-term growth profile remains intact. Citi Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory/portfolio catalyst: Abbott won FDA clearance and a CE Mark for its Ultreon™ 3.0 AI coronary imaging platform — a potential growth driver for high-margin cardiovascular devices and a tangible product-development win for medtech investors. Ultreon 3.0 FDA clearance and CE Mark
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: CFO Philip Boudreau bought shares (~2,200 at ~$91.50) and other insiders have recently purchased stock, which investors often read as management putting capital to work and a signal of confidence in the dividend and turnaround prospects. CFO Philip Boudreau Buys 2,200 Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend/defensive angle: Abbott remains a high-quality dividend payer (annualized ~$2.52) highlighted in income-focused commentary, which can support the stock among yield-seeking investors even amid volatility. How to Pick a Healthcare Stock That Can Weather Any Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Market opportunity context: Reports forecasting expansion in regional IVD markets (e.g., Saudi Arabia) underscore long-term demand for diagnostics platforms where Abbott competes, but these are broader-market tailwinds rather than immediate catalysts. Saudi Arabia IVD Market Report
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition dilution and guidance cut: Abbott trimmed FY26 EPS guidance to $5.38–$5.58, citing about $0.20 of dilution from the $21B Exact Sciences acquisition — a primary reason the stock hit 52-week lows and continues to pressure sentiment. Q1 Earnings and Exact Sciences Acquisition Fallout

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $158.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $122.00 to $109.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Freedom Capital raised Abbott Laboratories from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $131.00 price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.43.

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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