Sanford C. Bernstein Has Lowered Expectations for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Stock Price

Key Points

• Sanford C. Bernstein cut its price target on Abbott to $110 (from $125) while keeping an "outperform" rating, implying roughly a 15.5% upside from the stock's then-current price.
• Several other firms also trimmed targets (Argus, Leerink, TD Cowen, Mizuho, RBC), but the consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target near $121.
• Abbott narrowly beat Q1 EPS and revenue, but updated FY2026 guidance to $5.38–$5.58 (including ~ $0.20 dilution from the Exact Sciences deal), and the lowered guidance/merger dilution spurred near-term selling and volatility.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein from $125.00 to $110.00 in a research report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the healthcare product maker's stock. Sanford C. Bernstein's target price points to a potential upside of 15.51% from the stock's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Argus decreased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Leerink Partners lowered 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 note on Friday, January 30th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $137.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered 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. Two 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 MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $121.00.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of ABT stock opened at $95.23 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $108.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.01. Abbott Laboratories has a 12-month low of $93.92 and a 12-month high of $139.06. 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 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 (NYSE:ABT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.73% and a net margin of 14.72%.The business had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 885 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $102,288.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 146,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,918,253.66. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Eric Shroff sold 709 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 39,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 quarter, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CPC Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 36.9% in the 1st quarter. CPC Advisors LLC now owns 28,066 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock valued at $2,882,000 after purchasing an additional 7,567 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 27.5% during the first quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 700 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO grew its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 25.5% during the 1st quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 58,941 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $6,051,000 after buying an additional 11,994 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 114.4% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,064,157 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $211,927,000 after buying an additional 1,101,364 shares during the period. Finally, Smith Salley Wealth Management grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.3% during the first quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 189,613 shares of the healthcare product maker's stock worth $19,468,000 after acquiring an additional 2,448 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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

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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