Insider Trading January 26, 2026

Abbott Chairman Ford Purchases $2.01 Million in ABT Stock; Analysts React to Q4 Results

Robert B. Ford adds 18,800 shares while analysts adjust targets after a Q4 sales shortfall and cautious 2026 guidance

By Maya Rios ABT
Abbott Chairman Ford Purchases $2.01 Million in ABT Stock; Analysts React to Q4 Results
ABT

Abbott Laboratories Chairman and CEO Robert B. Ford reported a personal purchase of 18,800 shares on January 23, 2026, totaling $2,013,966. The transaction occurred in a price band of $106.735 to $107.485 and leaves Ford with 253,305 shares directly and 216,203 indirectly through the Ford Family Trust. The trade coincides with multiple analyst updates following Abbott's fourth-quarter 2025 organic sales shortfall and tempered 2026 outlook.

Key Points

  • Abbott Chairman and CEO Robert B. Ford purchased 18,800 shares on January 23, 2026, at $107.1259 per share, totaling $2,013,966.
  • Following the trade, Ford directly owns 253,305 shares and indirectly owns 216,203 shares through the Ford Family Trust.
  • Multiple analysts adjusted price targets and ratings after Abbott's Q4 2025 results, citing a 3.8% organic sales growth miss and segment-specific weakness in Nutrition and continuous glucose monitoring - sectors impacting healthcare and medical devices markets.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) Chairman and CEO Robert B. Ford disclosed a personal purchase of company common stock on January 23, 2026, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ford acquired 18,800 shares at a reported per-share price of $107.1259, bringing the total value of the transaction to $2,013,966.

The filing notes the execution price for the shares traded in a range between $106.735 and $107.485. After the purchase, Ford's direct holdings in Abbott amount to 253,305 shares. In addition, he holds 216,203 shares indirectly via the Ford Family Trust.


Analyst reactions after Q4 2025

The purchase comes as Abbott faces several analyst reassessments following its fourth-quarter 2025 results. The company reported 3.8% organic sales growth in the quarter, excluding COVID-related revenue, a figure described in filings as lower than expectations. That performance and the company's 2026 organic sales guidance have prompted a range of responses from sell-side firms.

  • UBS has sustained its Buy rating and set a $158 price target while noting investor concerns about Abbott's 2026 organic sales guidance.
  • Bernstein SocGen Group reduced its price target to $125, attributing the move to a "surprise Q4 sales miss" and a slowdown in the continuous glucose monitoring business.
  • TD Cowen trimmed its price target to $137, citing a revenue miss and more cautious sales guidance for 2026.
  • Benchmark reaffirmed its Buy rating with a $145 price target, calling out weakness in the Nutrition Products segment.
  • RBC Capital lowered its price target to $135, highlighting missed revenue expectations across all segments.

These revisions illustrate varied perspectives among analysts on Abbott's near-term trajectory following the quarter's results.


Context and disclosure

The Form 4 disclosure provides a snapshot of insider purchasing activity and immediate stock ownership following the transaction. The analyst updates cited above reflect post-quarter reactions from multiple firms and note both specific segment weakness and overall revenue shortfalls reported by Abbott in the fourth quarter of 2025.

No additional claims or forward-looking assertions are made beyond the details presented in the filing and the analyst notes referenced.

Risks

  • Abbott reported lower-than-expected 3.8% organic sales growth for Q4 2025, which has prompted cautious analyst outlooks - a risk to revenue performance in healthcare and diagnostics sectors.
  • Analyst downgrades and reduced price targets driven by a surprise Q4 sales miss and slowdown in the continuous glucose monitoring business introduce market uncertainty for Abbott's medical devices segment.
  • Weakness in the Nutrition Products segment and missed revenue expectations across segments create elevated near-term earnings and guidance risk for Abbott, affecting investor sentiment in consumer health and nutrition markets.

More from Insider Trading

Principal Financial CEO Disposes of $697,300 in Stock; JPMorgan Lowers Rating to Neutral Feb 2, 2026 Waste Management COO Executes Stock Transactions to Cover Tax Liability; Company Near Fair Value Feb 2, 2026 Waste Management SVP Carrasco executes share sale after performance award settlement Feb 2, 2026 Waste Management SVP Disposes of $47,052 in Shares Following Award Settlement Feb 2, 2026 CNB Financial Director Adds 975 Shares; Board Declares Quarterly Dividend Feb 2, 2026