Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Releases Earnings Results, Meets Expectations

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $11.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.99 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.73% and a net margin of 14.72%. Abbott Laboratories updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.380-5.580 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 1.250-1.310 EPS.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $101.55 on Thursday. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $99.05 and a 1 year high of $139.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.18. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $108.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.18.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on ABT. BTIG Research dropped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $131.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial dropped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $146.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $154.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Abbott Laboratories from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $121.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.58.

Key Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue and business strength — Abbott marginally beat consensus on revenue and saw strength in cancer diagnostics and medical devices, which supported the quarter. Abbott first-quarter results beat
• Positive Sentiment: Exact Sciences acquisition — Abbott completed the Exact Sciences deal, positioning the company as a leader in oncology diagnostics and targeting faster growth in that market (guidance incorporates the acquisition and its ~$0.20 EPS dilution). Abbott Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results; Updates Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying — Company insiders added roughly $3.10M of ABT stock, a signal some investors view as management confidence in the shares. Insiders Added Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS in line — Adjusted EPS of $1.15 matched consensus, so the quarter was not a surprise on the bottom line; margin/ROE metrics remain solid. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Market narrative — Some commentators label ABT an oversold blue‑chip opportunity, which could attract value-oriented buyers if the guidance impact proves temporary. Is Abbott the Best Oversold Blue Chip?
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance slightly below consensus — Abbott set FY adjusted EPS at $5.38–$5.58 versus a consensus ~$5.55, signaling marginally lower full‑year expectations after factoring in the acquisition. Guidance Update
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 guidance miss — Q2 EPS guidance of $1.25–$1.31 came below the Street (~$1.34), a primary driver of the intraday downside as it suggests near‑term growth headwinds. Q2 Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Segment headwinds & market skepticism — Analysts and commentators point to Nutrition weakness and say management will need to provide reasons on the call to push the stock higher, adding short‑term uncertainty. Will Robust Medical Business Performance Fuel ABT’s Q1?

Insider Activity

In other news, VP John A. Jr. Mccoy sold 585 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total transaction of $67,614.30. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 24,628 shares in the company, valued at $2,846,504.24. This trade represents a 2.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $108.73 per share, for a total transaction of $1,087,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,738,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $732,711,572.41. This represents a 0.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock worth $353,097. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 53.1% in the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 300 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 121.6% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC now owns 359 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

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.