Baird Raises Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Price Target to $123
Key Points
- Baird maintained an Outperform rating on Abbott Laboratories while boosting its price target from $121 to $123 on October 22, 2026.
- Baird's $123 price target implies 21.37% upside from Abbott Laboratories's ($ABT) current $101.34 share price.
- Abbott Laboratories recently traded around $100.56, sitting below its 50-day moving average of $105.49.
- Institutional investors and insiders have actively adjusted positions, alongside a broad analyst consensus pointing toward a strong buy rating.
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Baird's Call on Abbott Laboratories
On October 22, 2026, Baird maintained its Outperform rating on Abbott Laboratories and lifted its price target from $121 to $123. The research note outlines the firm's forward-looking view on the medical device maker.
ABT
Abbott Laboratories
Baird vs. the S&P 500
Hypothetical returns from Baird's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.
Other Institutional Activity in Abbott Laboratories
Institutional investors continue to shift their holdings in Abbott Laboratories. Y-Intercept added 250,717 shares, ending with 250,717 shares valued at about $24.78 million. Global Strategic Investment Solutions picked up 2,291 shares, holding 2,291 shares worth roughly $226,402. Elser Financial Planning added 2,209 shares, finishing with 2,209 shares valued at about $218,315. Meanwhile, Capital International Investors trimmed its stake by 2,842,222 shares, or 7.6%, ending with 34,654,113 shares worth about $3.48 billion in its report for the period ended June 30, 2026.
Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 1.1%
Abbott Laboratories recently traded around $100.56 as of October 22, 2026, compared to an event close of $100.51 on October 21, 2026. The stock trades below its 50-day moving average of $105.49 and below its 52-week high of $132.03.
$ABT price target
Abbott Laboratories daily closes and this analyst's $123 target. Not advice.
Recent Earnings
Abbott Laboratories generated trailing-twelve-month revenue of $46.58 billion with trailing earnings of $2.69 per share. The company reported a net profit margin of 11.6% and a return on equity of 10.6%.
Earnings drift grade
Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.
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Forward outlook
8 target cuts vs 0 raises.
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EPS & revenue
EPS met estimates. Revenue beat estimates by 0.5%.
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Profit surprise
EBITDA missed by 43 percent. Operating income missed by 19 percent.
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Pre-earnings setup
Bar was high, analysts already very bullish.
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Analyst signal
8 target cuts.
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Earnings quality
Gross margin up 3.7 points. Positive free cash flow.
Earnings Call Summary
Abbott completed its $2.4 billion acquisition of Exact Sciences on March 23 and is integrating the cancer diagnostics business into its portfolio. First quarter results came in slightly ahead, with sales of $11.2 billion, up 3.7 percent on a comparable basis, though the respiratory season was weaker than expected. The company is seeing early signs of volume recovery in Nutrition after price increases, expects Core Lab Diagnostics to accelerate, and is launching new cardiac devices like the Volt pulsed field ablation catheter and TactiFlex Duo. Management remains confident in second half acceleration but is being cautious on near term market conditions.
Guidance Abbott cut full year earnings guidance from $5.68 to $5.48 per share, reflecting $0.20 of dilution from the Exact Sciences acquisition. The company guided full year revenue growth of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent on a comparable basis including Exact Sciences. For the second quarter, Abbott expects earnings of $1.25 to $1.31 per share. Management said they are being conservative on respiratory season assumptions and expect acceleration in the second half driven by Nutrition recovery, Core Lab Diagnostics growth, and Exact Sciences integration.
Severe negative reset. The report materially damaged the forward outlook and likely forces major downward revisions.
Dividend
Abbott Laboratories pays an annual dividend of $2.52 per share, giving it a dividend yield of 2.46% with a payout ratio of 78.7%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories
Insiders have executed several trades over recent months. Director John G. Stratton bought 2,000 shares on May 7, 2026, at a price of $86.82 per share for a total value of $173,640. Later, on August 11, 2026, officer Louis H Morrone sold 5,850 shares at $109.83 per share worth $642,506. Chief Executive Officer Robert B. Ford sold 398,832 shares on August 25, 2026, valued at $46.20 million. Officer John A. Mccoy Jr sold 27 shares on September 2, 2026, at $109.54 per share for a total of $2,958.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Wall Street firms have updated their outlooks on Abbott Laboratories. On October 2, 2026, Rothschild & Co upgraded the stock to a Buy rating with a target of $127.00, moving up from $119.00. Barclays initiated coverage on October 7, 2026, with an Overweight rating and a $120.00 price target. TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating on October 16, 2026, with a $135.00 target. BTIG also kept a Buy rating on October 22, 2026, while lowering its price target from $134.00 to $125.00. Across the broader analyst community, the stock holds a consensus strong buy rating backed by 26 opinions and a mean target price of $120.41.
About Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products globally across four primary segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. This broad healthcare footprint makes its analyst updates an important indicator for institutional health sector sentiment.
Bottom Line
Investors tracking Abbott Laboratories will want to watch upcoming earnings announcements and further institutional disclosures. Analyst revisions from firms like Baird provide ongoing context for how the medical device maker is valued across the street.
Related Filing Alerts
Source: Baird's rating change on $ABT (Oct 22, 2026). Written by software, not financial advice. How we make alerts