Abbott Laboratories $ABT Shares Sold by First Merchants Corp

First Merchants Corp lowered its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 9.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 44,655 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after selling 4,453 shares during the quarter. First Merchants Corp’s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $5,981,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 759.1% during the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 189 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 81.3% in the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 232 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Curio Wealth LLC grew its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 15,250.0% during the 2nd quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 307 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pineridge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter. Pineridge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

NYSE:ABT opened at $127.91 on Wednesday. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $110.86 and a 52 week high of $141.23. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $126.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $129.51. The company has a market capitalization of $222.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30. The firm had revenue of $11.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.40 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 31.88%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. Abbott Laboratories has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.120-5.180 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is an increase from Abbott Laboratories’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.57%.

Key Abbott Laboratories News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reaffirmed a constructive view on ABT with a buy/overweight stance and raised its price target, signaling strong analyst confidence that supports further upside. Barclays Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays also increased its price target from $162 to $169 (overweight), implying meaningful upside from current levels and likely supporting buying interest. Benzinga coverage of Barclays PT raise
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI nudged its target up to $144 and maintained an outperform rating, adding another independent analyst vote of confidence for valuation and growth expectations. Evercore ISI adjusts PT on Abbott Laboratories
• Positive Sentiment: Abbott unveiled Libre Assist, an AI-driven feature in the Libre app aimed at in-the-moment meal guidance for people with diabetes — a product extension that could boost user engagement and CGM stickiness. Product innovation at CES supports the narrative of recurring revenue and device ecosystem strength. Abbott’s new Libre Assist app feature
• Neutral Sentiment: Abbott scheduled its Q4 2025 earnings release and conference call for Jan. 22 (pre-market). This is a key near-term catalyst: results and FY guidance will likely drive the next leg of the stock’s move. Abbott hosts conference call for fourth-quarter earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Studio coverage and comparisons (Zacks) highlight valuation comparisons with peers like Prestige Consumer Healthcare — useful for value-oriented investors, but not a direct stock driver. PBH vs. ABT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent intraday/short-term coverage noting ABT’s outperformance versus the market signals momentum but is not a fundamental change. Abbott (ABT) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ABT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $142.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. William Blair upgraded Abbott Laboratories to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $142.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $147.47.

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.