Fluent Financial LLC Takes $1.73 Million Position in Abbott Laboratories $ABT

Fluent Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 19,082 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 175,556,716 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $21,995,501,000 after purchasing an additional 2,402,408 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 79,853,782 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $10,004,880,000 after purchasing an additional 1,627,791 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 63,229,445 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $7,922,519,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614,706 shares in the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 12,439.6% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 39,319,009 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $4,926,279,000 after buying an additional 39,005,451 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 39,169,239 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $4,907,523,000 after buying an additional 400,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Diagnostics expansion strengthens growth outlook: Abbott is broadening its Diagnostics growth base through its Exact Sciences relationship and oncology testing expansion. Gains in cancer diagnostics and resilient routine testing are helping offset weaker respiratory-related demand, potentially making growth less dependent on COVID and respiratory testing. Here’s How ABT Broadens Diagnostics Growth Base With Oncology Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish: Although ABT has lagged the broader market over the past year, Wall Street analysts continue to view the stock favorably and see further upside potential based on Abbott’s diversified healthcare portfolio and earnings durability. Abbott Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?
• Positive Sentiment: Reliable-growth investment case: An investor letter from Matrix Asset Advisors presents Abbott as a compelling long-term healthcare holding, emphasizing its dependable growth profile and diversified end markets. Broader nutritional-market growth could also support Abbott’s nutrition business over time. What Makes Abbott Laboratories a Compelling Investment Opportunity Global Nutritional Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Value debate remains: Comparisons with Envista (NVST) focus on which medical-products stock offers better value. The coverage may prompt investors to weigh Abbott’s premium valuation against its stronger diversification and consistency, but it does not represent a new company-specific catalyst. NVST vs. ABT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive backdrop: Analysts’ discussion of Abbott alongside other healthcare companies provides sector context, but no major change to Abbott’s outlook is indicated. Boston Scientific’s reduced 2026 guidance could be relatively favorable for Abbott if investors rotate toward companies with steadier execution, though it also underscores competitive pressures in medical devices. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $107.81 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $186.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.89, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $95.51 and its 200 day moving average is $99.87. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $81.97 and a 1 year high of $137.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $12.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.52 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 11.65% and a return on equity of 17.69%. Abbott Laboratories’s revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.380-1.46 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.60 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 81.55%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $118.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered Abbott Laboratories from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $92.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $121.00 to $113.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Leerink Partners reduced their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $106.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday, July 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.17.

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.