Investors Buy Large Volume of AbbVie Call Options (NYSE:ABBV)

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors acquired 19,745 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 18% compared to the average daily volume of 16,703 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AbbVie

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in AbbVie by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 180,779,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,306,353,000 after purchasing an additional 3,032,438 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of AbbVie by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 80,940,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,494,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,274 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AbbVie by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 44,629,980 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,179,099,000 after purchasing an additional 4,190,487 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 25,824,399 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,900,617,000 after buying an additional 356,394 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AbbVie in the 4th quarter worth about $5,865,055,000. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting AbbVie

Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RINVOQ received two important European approvals. The European Commission approved RINVOQ for severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents, supported by Phase 3 data showing significant scalp, eyebrow, and eyelash hair regrowth. European Commission approval for severe alopecia areata
• Positive Sentiment: The commission also approved RINVOQ for non-segmental vitiligo, making it the first and only systemic treatment approved for this condition in the European Union. The expanded label could support future sales and strengthen AbbVie’s immunology portfolio. European Commission approval for non-segmental vitiligo
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity was unusually strong, with investors purchasing about 19,745 call options—approximately 18% above typical daily call volume—signaling increased near-term bullish interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $16.40 from $16.27, suggesting confidence in AbbVie’s longer-term earnings outlook. Investors also continue to highlight the company’s 53-year record of dividend increases and growth from Skyrizi and RINVOQ as Humira declines.
• Neutral Sentiment: AbbVie reports second-quarter results on July 31. Recent coverage points to Skyrizi and RINVOQ as key growth drivers, while investors will monitor Humira erosion, guidance, and the sustainability of the rally.
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group modestly reduced its FY2026 EPS estimate to $14.05 from $14.08, below the $14.16 consensus forecast. Analysts also disagree on valuation: intrinsic-value models imply additional upside, while market multiples suggest the shares may already be expensive after a 172% five-year gain.
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports warn that the stock’s strong run could lead to “sell the news” volatility if upcoming earnings or forward guidance fail to exceed elevated expectations.

AbbVie Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of ABBV traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $263.28. The stock had a trading volume of 3,378,635 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,025,740. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $236.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $223.32. AbbVie has a 12 month low of $187.62 and a 12 month high of $267.47. The company has a market capitalization of $465.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 129.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.30.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.06. AbbVie had a net margin of 5.79% and a negative return on equity of 576.45%. The business had revenue of $15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.46 EPS. AbbVie’s quarterly revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that AbbVie will post 14.16 EPS for the current year.

AbbVie Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 15th. AbbVie’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 340.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ABBV shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of AbbVie from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of AbbVie from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of AbbVie from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of AbbVie in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price on AbbVie from $273.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $269.29.

AbbVie Company Profile

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company that was created as a spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for complex and often chronic medical conditions. Its operations span research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization, with an emphasis on bringing specialty medicines to market across multiple therapeutic areas.

AbbVie’s product portfolio and pipeline cover several major therapeutic categories, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, virology and women’s health.