Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Stock Today, November 26, 2025: Insider Sale, $21B Exact Sciences Deal and Libre 3 Sensor Correction in Focus

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) enters Wednesday, November 26, 2025 with its share price hovering around $128 after a modest gain in Tuesday’s session. Investors are weighing three main storylines: a fresh insider stock sale, the $21 billion takeover of Exact Sciences, and a safety correction affecting millions of Libre 3 glucose sensors, all against the backdrop of solid earnings and a long dividend-growth history. ^[1]

With a market capitalization above $220 billion and membership in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index, Abbott remains a core holding for many income and healthcare-focused investors, meaning even relatively small headlines – like today’s insider trade – can move the conversation around ABT stock. ^[2]

Abbott Laboratories stock price snapshot for November 26, 2025

As of the latest completed trading session on Tuesday, November 25, Abbott Laboratories shares closed at $128.06, up $0.84 (+0.66%) from the prior close of $127.22. Intraday, the stock traded between $126.24 and $128.65. ^[3]

Over the past year, ABT has traded in a 52‑week range of $110.81 to $141.16, putting Tuesday’s close roughly 9% below the 52‑week high and about 16% above the low – squarely in the middle of its yearly band. ^[4]

Key snapshot metrics at Tuesday’s close include: ^[5]

Market cap: about $223 billion
Shares outstanding: ~1.74 billion
Trailing EPS: ~$7.64 per share
Trailing P/E: ~14.8x
Annual dividend (trailing): ~$2.24 per share
Dividend yield: just under 2%

Data providers that adjust for non‑recurring items and use forward estimates generally place Abbott’s forward P/E in the low‑20s, a modest premium to the broader market but not extreme relative to high‑quality medtech peers. ^[6]

Separate performance trackers show Abbott up in the high‑single digits over the last 12 months, with a relatively steady climb in 2025 as healthcare and medtech names have come back into favor. ^[7]

Fresh today: SVP Eric Shroff sells $203,000 in ABT stock

The most immediate November 26, 2025 news item for Abbott shareholders is an insider transaction:

Senior Vice President Eric Shroff sold 1,586 shares of Abbott common stock on November 25, 2025.
The shares were sold at prices between $128.02 and $128.06, for total proceeds of about $203,042. ^[8]

According to the Form 4 filing, Shroff continues to own 30,384 Abbott shares after the sale. ^[9]

A related Form 144 notice filed on November 25 clarifies that: ^[10]

The 1,586 shares derive from vested restricted stock awards that vested on February 28, 2025 in three small tranches (740, 250 and 596 shares).
The notice lists an approximate sale date of November 25, 2025 and references an aggregate market value of about $203,042 for the shares.
The filing repeats the standard Rule 144 representation that the seller is not aware of any undisclosed material adverse information about Abbott’s current or prospective operations.

Context matters here: the planned sale of 1,586 shares is tiny compared with the ~1.74 billion shares outstanding and comes from equity compensation rather than open‑market accumulation. StockTitan’s AI‑generated summary flags the impact as “Low” and the sentiment as “Neutral.” ^[11]

Insider sales like this are common at large, established companies and often reflect portfolio diversification or tax planning, not necessarily a negative view on the business. Still, traders sometimes treat clusters of insider selling as a short‑term sentiment indicator, so any follow‑on filings will be watched closely.

Exact Sciences deal: a $21B bet on cancer diagnostics

Beyond today’s insider headline, the dominant story for ABT in late November is its move into cancer diagnostics through a huge M&A deal.

On November 20, 2025, Abbott announced a definitive agreement to acquire Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS), a leading cancer screening and precision oncology company. Key deal terms: ^[12]

Price: $105 per EXAS share in cash
Equity value: approximately $21 billion
Enterprise value: about $23 billion, assuming ~$1.8 billion of Exact’s net debt
Expected closing:Q2 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals

Exact Sciences is projected to generate more than $3 billion in revenue in 2025, with high‑teens organic growth, driven by a portfolio that includes: ^[13]

Cologuard®, a non‑invasive stool‑based test for colorectal cancer screening
Cologuard Plus, a next‑generation version now rolling out
Oncotype DX®, which guides treatment decisions in breast cancer
Newer liquid‑biopsy offerings such as Oncodetect™ (molecular residual disease) and Cancerguard™ (multi‑cancer early detection)

Abbott expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to revenue growth and gross margin, and to push its diagnostics business above $12 billion in annual sales, giving it a major foothold in a roughly $60 billion U.S. market for cancer screening and precision oncology tests. ^[14]

Market reaction so far has been mixed:

Exact Sciences shares surged ~20–28% on the deal speculation and subsequent announcement, reflecting the rich premium. ^[15]
Abbott shares initially fell around 2% as investors digested the price tag and the added balance‑sheet risk, before stabilizing in the days that followed. ^[16]

Analysts, including those cited by MedTech Dive and UBS, generally view the deal as strategically smart, giving Abbott a powerful growth engine to complement its diabetes, cardiovascular and core lab diagnostics franchises – but they also flag integration and competitive risks, especially as blood‑based cancer tests emerge from rivals. ^[17]

For ABT shareholders, the medium‑term stock narrative is now tightly tied to whether Abbott can:

Close the deal on schedule and on expected terms
Preserve Exact’s innovation culture and scientific talent in Madison
Expand Cologuard and other tests internationally
Defend the franchise as blood‑based screening options gain traction

Libre 3 sensor correction: safety and reputation in the spotlight

A second important overhang is the safety correction affecting Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products.

On November 24, 2025, MedTech Dive reported that Abbott issued a “medical device correction” — not a formal recall — for around 3 million FreeStyle Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors in the United States. The move followed reports that some sensors may deliver falsely low glucose readings, potentially leading users to overtreat with carbohydrates or reduce insulin unnecessarily. ^[18]

Key data from Abbott’s communication, as reported: ^[19]

736 severe adverse events and 7 deaths worldwide associated with the affected sensors
In the U.S., 57 severe adverse events and no deaths
The problem is tied to a single manufacturing line, and roughly half of the affected sensors have already been used or expired
Abbott is offering free replacement sensors and does not expect major supply disruptions

The U.S. FDA had not yet listed the correction in its recall database as of the latest reporting, but the situation is being closely followed by regulators, physicians and patient groups. ^[20]

The Libre franchise has been one of Abbott’s fastest‑growing product lines within Medical Devices, competing directly with Dexcom and Insulet in the booming CGM market. Any perceived reliability issues could: ^[21]

Slow new patient uptake
Increase warranty or replacement costs
Heighten regulatory scrutiny and potential litigation risk

So far, the company’s messaging emphasizes that it has isolated the manufacturing issue and is proactively replacing affected sensors, but investors will watch for any escalation into a formal recall or further adverse event disclosures.

Earnings, outlook and dividend: fundamentals underpin the story

Despite these headlines, Abbott’s core operations remain healthy.

In its third‑quarter 2025 results released on October 15, Abbott reported: ^[22]

Reported sales growth: 6.9% year over year
Organic sales growth: 5.5%, or 7.5% excluding COVID‑19 testing
GAAP diluted EPS: $0.94
Adjusted diluted EPS: $1.30
Adjusted operating margin: 23.0% of sales (up 40 bps)

The company reaffirmed its full‑year 2025 guidance, narrowing its adjusted EPS outlook to $5.12–$5.18, which implies double‑digit EPS growth at the midpoint. ^[23]

Segment highlights from the Q3 release include: ^[24]

Diagnostics: Core lab revenue grew in the low‑single digits despite pricing and volume pressure in China.
Medical Devices: Continued strength in structural heart (MitraClip, TriClip) and diabetes care (Libre) drove mid‑ to high‑single‑digit growth.
Nutrition: International pediatric and adult nutrition remained a bright spot, while U.S. pediatric nutrition is still normalizing post‑infant‑formula disruptions.
Established Pharmaceuticals: Emerging‑markets branded generics delivered solid mid‑single‑digit growth on an organic basis.

Year‑to‑date through Q3, Abbott’s total sales are up just over 6% reported and 6.4% organically (or 7.7% excluding COVID testing), broadly in line with management’s long‑term ambition for high‑single‑digit organic growth. ^[25]

A classic dividend-growth story

For dividend investors, Abbott remains a textbook dividend grower:

On September 19, 2025, the board declared its 407th consecutive quarterly dividend, setting the payout at $0.59 per share, payable November 17, 2025 to shareholders of record on October 15, 2025. ^[26]
Abbott has now increased its dividend for 53 straight years, placing it firmly in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index. ^[27]
Data from dividend trackers show Abbott’s trailing 12‑month dividend at around $2.24 per share, with a yield near 2% at current prices. ^[28]

Kiplinger’s updated list of “Best Dividend Stocks to Buy for Dependable Dividend Growth” singles out Abbott for its long history of annual increases, noting that the company first paid a dividend in 1924 and has grown the payout for more than half a century, backed by a diverse portfolio that spans Similac infant formula, Glucerna diabetes products and i‑Stat point‑of‑care diagnostic systems. ^[29]

For income‑oriented holders, the Exact Sciences deal and Libre 3 issues are important, but the dividend track record and payout discipline are key reasons many are willing to ride out short‑term volatility.

How Wall Street sees ABT after the deal

Despite the new risks, Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Abbott.

Markets Insider data show: ^[30]

50 analysts currently cover ABT
46 rate it “Buy”, 4 rate it “Hold,” and none rate it “Sell”
The median 12‑month price target is about $139, with a range of $119–$162

Other compilations of research coverage suggest even higher averages. One recent summary pegs the average target around $144–$147 per share, implying low‑ to mid‑teens upside from current levels. ^[31]

Analyst actions in 2025 include: ^[32]

BTIG Research maintaining a “Buy” rating with a $145 price target (most recently on November 20)
Barclays, Evercore, Wells Fargo, RBC, Raymond James and Jefferies all sticking with “Buy” or equivalent ratings, with targets mostly in the low‑ to mid‑$140s

On valuation, independent platforms like Simply Wall St and Directorstalk Interviews argue that Abbott trades at a discount to their estimated fair value (around $144 per share), citing: ^[33]

Mid‑single‑digit to high‑single‑digit revenue growth
Strong returns on equity and healthy free cash flow
A durable competitive position across diagnostics, devices, nutrition and branded generics

AI‑driven forecast sites such as CoinCodex estimate that ABT could hover in the low‑$130s near‑term and project around 10–11% upside over the coming year based purely on quantitative price‑pattern models — but those algorithmic predictions are highly uncertain and should be treated as rough scenarios, not guarantees. ^[34]

Risks to watch: litigation, integration and regulatory pressure

While the long‑term fundamentals appear solid, ABT is not risk‑free.

1. Deal execution and integration

The Exact Sciences acquisition must clear regulatory and shareholder approvals, and Abbott will then need to integrate a fast‑growing, R&D‑intensive oncology business without disrupting its culture or pipeline. Analysts note that delays, divestiture requirements or integration missteps could erode the high‑teens growth that makes Exact so attractive in the first place. ^[35]

2. Product safety and brand reputation

The Libre 3 correction underscores Abbott’s exposure to device quality and safety risks. Regulators have been tightening scrutiny on CGM systems, and any escalation — such as an FDA‑logged recall or more severe adverse‑event data — could pressure Libre’s growth and open the door wider for competitors. ^[36]

3. Ongoing NEC baby formula litigation

Abbott also faces continuing legal overhang from lawsuits alleging that its Similac products contributed to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants. A November 4, 2025 update from a plaintiffs’ law firm notes that around 755 cases remain pending in the federal MDL (MDL 3026) alongside additional state‑court filings, with some early jury verdicts in related cases against other manufacturers reaching very large sums. ^[37]

While allegations and verdicts are subject to appeals and do not automatically translate to Abbott outcomes, the litigation adds uncertainty around potential future settlements, legal expenses and reputational impact.

4. Macro and pricing pressures

Finally, Abbott is exposed to broader issues such as: ^[38]

Foreign‑exchange volatility, which can drag on reported international sales
Volume‑based procurement and pricing reforms, especially in China, affecting diagnostics
Hospital capital‑spending cycles, which can impact device orders and lab equipment upgrades

Management highlighted some of these pressures in explaining Q3 performance, even as it reaffirmed full‑year guidance.

Bottom line for Abbott Laboratories stock on November 26, 2025

Heading into today’s trading, Abbott Laboratories sits near the midpoint of its 52‑week range, at about $128 per share, balancing solid fundamentals against elevated headlines: ^[39]

A routine‑sized insider sale from an SVP has hit the tape but looks immaterial in scale. ^[40]
The company is making a bold strategic push into cancer diagnostics via the $21B Exact Sciences deal, which could unlock a large new growth vertical if executed well. ^[41]
A Libre 3 device correction keeps safety and regulatory risk in focus, particularly in the competitive diabetes‑tech market. ^[42]
Earnings and cash flow continue to support a nearly century‑long, steadily rising dividend, a key attraction for long‑term holders. ^[43]

Short‑term traders may concentrate on how the market reprices risk around the Exact Sciences integration and Libre 3 correction, while longer‑term investors may view current levels as an opportunity to own a diversified global healthcare leader with structural growth drivers and a reliable, growing payout.

As always, whether ABT is appropriate for your portfolio depends on your risk tolerance, time horizon and existing exposure to healthcare and large‑cap dividend stocks. This article is informational only and does not constitute personalized investment advice. Consider consulting a qualified financial adviser before making any buy, sell or hold decisions regarding Abbott Laboratories or any other security.