Mufg Securities Americas Inc. Acquires 8,374 Shares of Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Mufg Securities Americas Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 21.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,934 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,374 shares during the period. Mufg Securities Americas Inc.’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $6,286,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter valued at about $3,026,180,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 13,347.0% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,056,934 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $823,804,000 after acquiring an additional 6,011,891 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 172,800,851 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $23,502,644,000 after acquiring an additional 2,977,715 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 180.7% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,063,443 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $416,659,000 after purchasing an additional 1,972,097 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 3.8% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 38,293,067 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $5,184,589,000 after purchasing an additional 1,390,554 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 2.6%

NYSE:ABT opened at $115.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $118.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $125.68. The stock has a market cap of $200.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $105.27 and a 12 month high of $141.23.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.94%. The company had revenue of $11.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratories’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.74%.

Abbott Laboratories News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition strategy could expand diagnostics/oncology exposure — Abbott announced plans tied to acquiring Exact Sciences and market commentary highlights the strategic upside of bolstering cancer‑screening capabilities. QuiverQuant: Acquisition discussion
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained — Abbott declared a quarterly dividend ($0.63/share, ex‑date April 15), supporting income investors and signaling cash‑flow confidence. (Company release)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing and price targets — Several firms maintain buy/overweight ratings and median targets (~$140), providing upside vs. the current trading level and helping buyer confidence. QuiverQuant: Analyst ratings and targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed — EPS matched consensus ($1.50) but revenue modestly missed estimates; management gave Q1 and FY 2026 EPS ranges that investors are parsing for cadence of recovery. Zacks: Q4 recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate amid recent weakness — Commentary examines whether recent share weakness makes ABT attractive or merely fairly valued given sector headwinds; this frames some buying interest. Yahoo: Valuation piece
• Negative Sentiment: Big bond sale to fund Exact Sciences deal raises leverage concerns — Abbott’s planned ~$20B bond issuance to finance the acquisition has prompted debate over increased debt in a tighter rate environment. QuiverQuant: Bond financing discussion
• Negative Sentiment: Product‑liability lawsuit involving FreeStyle Libre 3 — A wrongful‑death suit alleges defects in Libre 3 systems, naming Abbott and raising regulatory, safety and potential litigation cost risks. This is a material legal overhang to monitor. Yahoo: Wrongful‑death lawsuit

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Leerink Partners dropped 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 report on Friday, January 30th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Raymond James Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $146.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, William Blair raised Abbott Laboratories to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $137.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In other news, Director Daniel J. Starks purchased 10,000 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $108.73 per share, with a total value of $1,087,300.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 6,738,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $732,711,572.41. This trade represents a 0.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.