New York, January 11, 2026, 15:30 EST — Market closed.
- ABT slipped roughly 0.2%, finishing at $125.92, just below its previous close.
- Exact Sciences scheduled a shareholder meeting for Feb. 20 to vote on the merger, with Jan. 9 marked as the record date.
- Abbott will release its fourth-quarter results on Jan. 22, ahead of the market open.
Abbott Laboratories starts the week with its proposed acquisition of Exact Sciences in the spotlight, following Exact Sciences’ announcement of a shareholder vote scheduled for Feb. 20.
Timing is crucial here since Abbott’s quarterly results come out on Jan. 22. That report could reset expectations for 2026 and clarify just how much management plans to spend—and absorb—in pursuit of growth.
Wall Street is tugging in opposite directions. Bernstein’s Lee Hambright nudged his price target up to $154 from $150. On the flip side, Goldman Sachs trimmed its target to $152 from $157. Both firms maintain buy-equivalent ratings. Remember, these price targets reflect analysts’ projections for the next year—they’re not guarantees.
The vote acts as a gatekeeper. Shareholders recorded by the cutoff date get to cast ballots, with the meeting scheduled to take place online.
Abbott and Exact announced in November that the deal offers $105 per share in cash, pegging Exact’s equity value at around $21 billion and about $23 billion when factoring in net debt. Abbott CEO Robert Ford described the companies’ “presence and strengths” as complementary at the time.
Traders remain focused on the price tag and earnings impact. Reuters reported Abbott expects the deal to cut earnings per share by 20 cents in 2026 and 16 cents in 2027, describing the acquisition as dilutive. The company argues the move will expand its diagnostics portfolio beyond the fading COVID-testing market.
Abbott stock faces a clear near-term test: can its core device and diagnostics units sustain momentum while a major cash deal looms? Details on financing, timing, or integration could shift sentiment sharply.
Another risk looms quietly. On Friday, a product-liability lawsuit targeting Abbott was filed in federal court in Chicago, per the court docket.
None of this is set in stone. The Exact vote might falter, regulatory reviews could stall, and if Abbott posts weak numbers or a cautious outlook, attention could shift back to valuation instead of the deal’s rationale.
Abbott’s quarterly earnings hit the wires on Jan. 22, and the Exact shareholder vote is set for Feb. 20.
