Abbott Laboratories Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:ABT)

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Investors bought 80,621 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 683% compared to the typical volume of 10,296 put options.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

NYSE:ABT opened at $107.46 on Friday. Abbott Laboratories has a 1-year low of $105.78 and a 1-year high of $141.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The business has a 50 day moving average of $124.77 and a 200 day moving average of $128.36. The company has a market capitalization of $186.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.89, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.72.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.50. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 17.94%. The firm had revenue of $11.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.34 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.120-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.550-5.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Abbott Laboratories’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.74%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ABT. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 759.1% during the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 189 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 81.3% during the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 232 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. 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: MedTech and pharma strength, and EPS resilience — Abbott reported adjusted Q4 EPS growth (company highlighted margin improvements) and strong MedTech (+~12%) and Established Pharma (+~9%) performance that partly offset Nutrition weakness; management still projects FY‑2026 adjusted EPS growth. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts keep buy/outperform stance despite cuts — several major firms trimmed price targets after the print but largely maintained buy/overweight ratings, signaling conviction in the longer‑term story even as near‑term expectations were tempered. Analyst Reaction
• Positive Sentiment: Some commentators view the pullback as a buying opportunity — market commentators highlight ABT’s dividend history, cash flow and buyback capacity, suggesting the drop may create an attractive entry for long‑term investors. MarketBeat: Pullback Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call and transcripts available — investors can review management commentary and segment detail in the Q4 earnings call transcript for color on nutrition, diagnostics and Exact/other strategic items. Earnings Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend/valuation commentary circulates — value and dividend‑focused outlets are flagging ABT as attractively valued after the pullback; this is background context rather than a near‑term catalyst. Zacks: Value Take
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss driven by Nutrition and Diagnostics — Q4 revenue (~$11.5B) fell short of consensus, with Nutrition down sharply (~8–9%) and Diagnostics weak, sparking the initial selloff. Reuters: Revenue Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance slightly below Street — Abbott set Q1 EPS and FY‑2026 EPS ranges that sit near or a touch below consensus, increasing near‑term revenue/growth concerns. Guidance Details
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price‑target cuts — a raft of firms (Citigroup, Goldman, Raymond James, Sanford Bernstein, Oppenheimer, RBC, etc.) trimmed targets, which can amplify selling pressure even if ratings remain constructive. Benzinga: PT Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Options and hedging activity spiked — an unusual surge in put buying suggests traders are positioning for further near‑term downside (heightened bearish sentiment).
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny in India — reports of an investigation into alleged misuse of a codeine‑based cough syrup (Abbott Healthcare) add an extra headline risk in emerging markets. Reuters: India Scrutiny

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $155.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. William Blair upgraded Abbott Laboratories to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $149.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $146.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.79.

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.