Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,119,777 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,730 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.06% of Abbott Laboratories worth $126,658,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 30,260 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $3,413,000 after buying an additional 1,892 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 63,078 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $7,135,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,373,461,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,332,000. Finally, Rockbridge Investment Management LCC increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 16.4% during the 4th quarter. Rockbridge Investment Management LCC now owns 2,127 shares of the healthcare product maker’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Lisa D. Earnhardt sold 91,167 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.82, for a total value of $12,199,967.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 71,928 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,625,404.96. The trade was a 55.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 949 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.17, for a total transaction of $131,123.33. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,381 shares in the company, valued at $10,277,222.77. The trade was a 1.26 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 116,449 shares of company stock worth $15,463,316 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

NYSE ABT opened at $131.67 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $228.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.21, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $129.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $120.24. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $99.71 and a 1 year high of $141.23.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34. The business had revenue of $10.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.03 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.74% and a net margin of 31.95%. The company’s revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Abbott Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ABT shares. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Abbott Laboratories to $136.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $138.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.94.

Abbott Laboratories Company Profile

Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Ménière’s disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon.