Piper Sandler Has Lowered Expectations for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Stock Price

Key Points

• Piper Sandler cut its Abbott price target to $115 from $135 but kept an "overweight" rating, implying roughly a 20.8% upside from the prior close.
• Abbott beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.15 vs. $1.14; revenue $11.16B vs. $10.99B) but lowered FY2026 guidance to $5.38–$5.58 and warned of about $0.20 of EPS dilution from the Exact Sciences acquisition, prompting selling and concerns about margins and the nutrition segment.
• Analysts remain generally positive—a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $121 average target—while the stock trades near the low end of its 52‑week range (~$95), creating mixed near-term outlook versus longer-term expectations.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Piper Sandler from $135.00 to $115.00 in a research note issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the healthcare product maker's stock. Piper Sandler's target price would suggest a potential upside of 20.76% from the stock's previous close.

ABT has been the subject of a number of other reports. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $131.00 price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $142.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $147.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Leerink Partners reduced their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $119.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Evercore decreased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $138.00 to $134.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $121.00.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ABT opened at $95.23 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $165.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $108.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.01. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $93.92 and a 52 week high of $139.06. 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 posted its 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 net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The company had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.09 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratories's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, SVP Eric Shroff sold 709 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $81,946.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 39,164 shares in the company, valued at $4,526,575.12. This represents a 1.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks acquired 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $108.73 per share, for a total transaction of $1,087,300.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 6,738,817 shares in the company, valued at $732,711,572.41. This represents a 0.15% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. Insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ABT. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Key Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on both EPS ($1.15 vs. $1.14 est.) and revenue ($11.16B vs. $10.99B), driven by medical devices and the newly acquired cancer diagnostics business — confirms underlying growth momentum. Reuters: Abbott first-quarter results beat
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy and set a $131 price target (≈+38% upside vs. current price), signaling some analysts view the acquisition and growth trajectory as accretive over time. TickerReport: BTIG Reaffirms Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Abbott officially updated FY2026 guidance to $5.38–$5.58 (includes ~$0.20 dilution from Exact Sciences) and Q2 guidance to $1.25–$1.31, which is below prior consensus — investors must weigh near-term EPS hit vs. long-term oncology exposure. PR Newswire: Abbott Reports Q1, Updates Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally bullish (Buy ratings from multiple firms and mid-$120s PTs from some outlets like 24/7 Wall St.), keeping a positive baseline for longer-term holders. 24/7 Wall St.: ABT price prediction
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s lowered guidance and the ~$0.20 EPS dilution tied to the Exact Sciences buyout spurred selling pressure; margin compression and a weak nutrition segment were flagged on the call. WSJ: Abbott cuts outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms trimmed price targets after the print—Bank of America and Stifel lowered PTs (to $120) even while keeping Buy ratings, reflecting reduced near-term upside expectations. Benzinga: Analyst price target changes
• Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted negatively after the print as investors prioritized the guidance cut and merger dilution over the modest beat; short-term volatility and ETF flows were noted by several outlets. Motley Fool: Why ABT tumbled

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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