Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Holdings Decreased by Flossbach Von Storch SE

Flossbach Von Storch SE reduced its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,672,425 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after selling 86,048 shares during the period. Abbott Laboratories comprises about 3.9% of Flossbach Von Storch SE’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Flossbach Von Storch SE owned approximately 0.50% of Abbott Laboratories worth $980,938,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ABT. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 17.9% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 268,538 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $30,616,000 after purchasing an additional 40,783 shares in the last quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. now owns 2,503 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the third quarter worth approximately $142,000. My Legacy Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.3% in the third quarter. My Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 4,180 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $477,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 11.2% in the third quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 8,571 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $964,000 after acquiring an additional 863 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, EVP Daniel Gesua Sive Salvadori sold 23,771 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.50, for a total value of $3,054,573.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 125,697 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,152,064.50. This represents a 15.90 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

ABT stock opened at $132.18 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Abbott Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $99.71 and a fifty-two week high of $132.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $229.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $119.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $116.53.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.34. The company had revenue of $10.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.03 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 31.95% and a return on equity of 20.74%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. Analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th were issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. This is an increase from Abbott Laboratories’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on ABT shares. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $158.00 price target (up previously from $149.00) on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Argus raised Abbott Laboratories to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Abbott Laboratories to $136.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.06.

Abbott Laboratories Company Profile

Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Ménière’s disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon.