Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $11.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 17.60%. Abbott Laboratories’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 EPS. Abbott Laboratories updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.120-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 5.550-5.800 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Abbott Laboratories’ conference call:

• Abbott guided full‑year 2026 organic sales of 6.5%–7.5% (midpoint ~7%) and adjusted EPS of $5.55–$5.80 (midpoint ~10% growth), with Q1 EPS ~$1.12–$1.18 and a modest FX tailwind baked into the outlook.
• Nutrition was the primary near‑term drag—Q4 sales declined after U.S. pediatric market share loss (WIC) and price‑driven volume weakness; management is rolling out price/promotional actions and at least 8 new product launches, expecting H1 pressure and a return to growth in H2.
• Medical devices remain a growth engine—Q4 devices +10.5%, CGM sales exceeded $7.5B in 2025 (Q4 CGM +12%, full year +17%) and management expects continued ~<$strong>1B annual CGM growth plus multiple EP and structural‑heart product rollouts (Volt, Vault, TactiFlex Duo, Amulet trial completion).
• Abbott announced the acquisition of Exact Sciences to enter cancer diagnostics (adds a >$3B business growing ~15%); management is focused on closing and integration (shareholder vote Feb 20) and views the deal as a strategic growth vertical.
• Diagnostics faces offsetting dynamics—overall diagnostics sales down 3.5% y/y from lower COVID testing and China VBP headwinds, but Core Lab is building momentum (Core Lab +3.5% in Q4 and ~+7% ex‑China for the year); the company also delivered margin expansion (adjusted operating margin 25.8%, +150bps) and expects ongoing margin gains.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 10.1%

Shares of ABT opened at $108.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.24. Abbott Laboratories has a 1-year low of $105.78 and a 1-year high of $141.23. The stock has a market cap of $188.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $125.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $128.54.

Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This is a boost from Abbott Laboratories’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Abbott Laboratories

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

• Positive Sentiment: Med‑tech strength and margin expansion: Abbott said its Devices/MedTech businesses performed well in Q4 and reported adjusted EPS growth of ~12%, which supports longer‑term earnings power. Abbott Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and income profile: Many sell‑side analysts maintain buy/outperform ratings and above‑current price targets, and the company’s Dividend‑King status and buyback capacity are cited as reasons some investors view the recent pullback as a buying opportunity. Is Abbott’s January Pullback a Good Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 EPS matched consensus: Abbott reported adjusted EPS of $1.50, in line with estimates — a neutral datapoint that limits the positive surprise potential. Abbott (ABT) Matches Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and segment weakness: Total Q4 revenue of $11.46B fell short of Street estimates (~$11.8B). Weakness in Diagnostics (volatile post‑COVID testing) and a ~9% decline in Nutrition weighed on top‑line growth, prompting investor concern. Abbott misses quarterly revenue estimates on weakness in diagnostics segment
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed modestly: Q1 EPS guidance (1.12–1.18) is below consensus (~1.20) and FY adjusted EPS range (5.55–5.80) leaves limited upside vs. Street forecasts, which amplified the sell‑off after results. Abbott Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risk in India: Documents show scrutiny of an Abbott Healthcare (India) supply chain tied to alleged misuse of a codeine‑based cough syrup — a developing regulatory issue that adds uncertainty and headline risk. Abbott faces India scrutiny in cough syrup abuse investigation, documents show
• Negative Sentiment: Options flow and investor positioning: There was a large uptick in put buying (≈80.6k puts), indicating elevated bearish bets or hedging demand that can accelerate downside during news flows. (trade flow reported by market sources)

Institutional Trading of Abbott Laboratories

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ABT. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter valued at $39,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 3rd quarter valued at about $92,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 12.9% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 885 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 9.3% in the second quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 1,031 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $140,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 16.0% during the second quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,122 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $153,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $142.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Barclays raised their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $162.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Daiwa Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $134.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $147.39.

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.