Magnetar Financial LLC Takes Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 17,962 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock, valued at approximately $2,406,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 51,719 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $5,850,000 after acquiring an additional 4,755 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,768 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $648,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. United Bank grew its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 7.4% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 29,004 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $3,945,000 after purchasing an additional 2,001 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey increased its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 4.4% in the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 262,889 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $35,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,036 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hudock Inc. raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.7% in the second quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 3,405 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $463,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: New clinical evidence — The FreeDM2 randomized trial showed FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring produced meaningful improvements in HbA1c and more time-in-range for people with Type 2 diabetes on basal insulin, supporting adoption and longer-term revenue upside for Abbott’s diabetes business. Landmark study shows Libre technology helps people with Type 2 diabetes on basal insulin improve glucose management
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/consumer engagement — Abbott relaunched its “Abbott Dream Team” program with Real Madrid, a marketing push that can boost awareness for consumer-facing segments (nutrition, diagnostics) and strengthen long-term end-market demand. Abbott and Real Madrid launch nationwide effort to build the next ‘Abbott Dream Team’
• Positive Sentiment: Value narrative — Analyst commentary and stock-screen mentions (Zacks, dividend-aristocrat lists) emphasize ABT’s defensive characteristics, dividend safety and long-term value, which can support investor demand despite near-term noise. Why Abbott (ABT) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views diverging — Coverage shows only small shifts in modeled fair value overall, but several analysts are revising targets and re-weighting execution risk vs. long-run growth; this creates mixed signals and short-term volatility. How The Story On Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Targets And Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term earnings reception — Q4 revenue came in below consensus while EPS roughly met estimates, and sector Q4 comparisons flagged pockets of weakness; that revenue miss likely pressured the stock. Q4 Earnings Highs And Lows: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Vs The Rest Of The Medical Devices & Supplies – Diversified Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target actions — Citigroup trimmed its price target slightly (from $140 to $136) while keeping a buy rating; small cuts across some desks add downward pressure even if sentiment remains constructive. Benzinga: Citigroup price target cut

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Abbott Laboratories news, VP John A. Jr. Mccoy sold 585 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $67,614.30. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 24,628 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,846,504.24. The trade was a 2.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mary K. Moreland sold 613 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $70,850.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 104,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,053,953.78. This trade represents a 0.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ABT. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $152.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Freedom Capital upgraded Abbott Laboratories from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Daiwa Securities Group decreased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $136.00 to $113.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, William Blair raised Abbott Laboratories to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.16.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of ABT stock opened at $108.18 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $114.91 and a 200 day moving average of $124.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.18. Abbott Laboratories has a 1-year low of $105.27 and a 1-year high of $139.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.74.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50. The business had revenue of $11.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.73% and a net margin of 14.72%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.34 EPS. 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.74%.

Abbott Laboratories 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.