NEW YORK, Jan 29, 2026, 14:22 EST — Regular session
Abbott Laboratories shares ticked up 0.3%, reaching $106.34 in Thursday afternoon trading, following a choppy week that held the healthcare giant close to its recent lows.
Abbott’s retreat shifts a longstanding debate into an immediate challenge: can management steady nutrition and diagnostics as it preps its next major diagnostics move? The stock trades within a 52-week range of $105.27 to $141.23, offering limited leeway for another slip before pushing into new territory.
Abbott dropped 2.05% on Wednesday and plunged 10.04% last Thursday after missing revenue estimates and issuing a cautious near-term forecast. The stock has slid to $105.27 this week.
A minor boost on Thursday came from a broker call. Freedom Capital Markets upgraded Abbott to “buy,” StreetInsider reported, despite lowering its price target to $120 from $130, Investing.com noted. The firm still sees longer-term gains linked to the planned Exact Sciences deal. StreetInsider.com
Abbott last week projected first-quarter adjusted earnings between $1.12 and $1.18 per share, following a miss on quarterly revenue driven by softness in nutrition and diagnostics, Reuters reported. CEO Robert Ford acknowledged that rising costs have forced price hikes and said, “we’ll have a couple quarters here where growth in nutrition is going to be challenged.” He also said last year’s roughly $1 billion diagnostic headwind should be “mostly” behind the company. Bernstein analyst Christian Moore, however, cautioned about a “negative aura” surrounding infant formula demand, even though Abbott isn’t linked to contamination problems affecting rivals. Reuters
Exact Sciences is still a major wildcard. Abbott has agreed to acquire the cancer diagnostics firm for $105 a share in cash, aiming to wrap up the deal by the second quarter of 2026.
Exact Sciences set a special shareholders meeting for Feb. 20, 2026, to vote on the deal, per a definitive proxy filing.
The downside scenario is straightforward. If demand for nutrition remains weak through the second half, or if price gains continue to hit resistance, investors might begin trimming their 2026 forecasts once more. Any delays in closing Exact or stricter regulatory hurdles would only weigh heavier on sentiment.
Abbott announced a quarterly dividend of $0.63 per share, set for payment on Feb. 13, 2026. This move aims to retain income-focused investors, even as growth-oriented ones weigh the company’s next steps.
Traders are eyeing if Thursday’s bounce can stick through the close, while waiting to see if deal news or proxy-vote positioning ahead of Feb. 20 will push the stock beyond the usual daily swings.
