Jefferies Financial Group Has Lowered Expectations for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Stock Price

17 Apr 2026, 10:36 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT – Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $145.00 to $135.00 in a research note issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the healthcare product maker’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target suggests a potential upside of 41.36% from the stock’s previous close.

ABT has been the subject of several other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $154.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Freedom Capital raised Abbott Laboratories from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $131.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $121.00.

Get Our Latest Research Report on ABT

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of ABT stock opened at $95.50 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $166.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $108.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.01. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $93.92 and a 12 month high of $139.06.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.01. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The business had revenue of $11.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Abbott Laboratories has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.380-5.580 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.310 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, Director Daniel J. Starks acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $108.73 per share, with a total value of $1,087,300.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,738,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $732,711,572.41. The trade was a 0.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP John A. Jr. Mccoy sold 585 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.58, for a total value of $67,614.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 24,628 shares in the company, valued at $2,846,504.24. This represents a 2.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 3,055 shares of company stock valued at $353,097 over the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Abbott Laboratories

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Abbott Laboratories News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on both EPS ($1.15 vs. $1.14 est.) and revenue ($11.16B vs. $10.99B), driven by medical devices and the newly acquired cancer diagnostics business — confirms underlying growth momentum. Reuters: Abbott first-quarter results beat
Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy and set a $131 price target (≈+38% upside vs. current price), signaling some analysts view the acquisition and growth trajectory as accretive over time. TickerReport: BTIG Reaffirms Buy
Neutral Sentiment: Abbott officially updated FY2026 guidance to $5.38–$5.58 (includes ~$0.20 dilution from Exact Sciences) and Q2 guidance to $1.25–$1.31, which is below prior consensus — investors must weigh near-term EPS hit vs. long-term oncology exposure. PR Newswire: Abbott Reports Q1, Updates Guidance
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally bullish (Buy ratings from multiple firms and mid-$120s PTs from some outlets like 24/7 Wall St.), keeping a positive baseline for longer-term holders. 24/7 Wall St.: ABT price prediction
Negative Sentiment: Management’s lowered guidance and the ~$0.20 EPS dilution tied to the Exact Sciences buyout spurred selling pressure; margin compression and a weak nutrition segment were flagged on the call. WSJ: Abbott cuts outlook
Negative Sentiment: Several firms trimmed price targets after the print—Bank of America and Stifel lowered PTs (to $120) even while keeping Buy ratings, reflecting reduced near-term upside expectations. Benzinga: Analyst price target changes
Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted negatively after the print as investors prioritized the guidance cut and merger dilution over the modest beat; short-term volatility and ETF flows were noted by several outlets. Motley Fool: Why ABT tumbled

About Abbott Laboratories

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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.