10 Best Bear Market Stocks to Invest In Right Now

7. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

On April 22, Daiwa downgraded Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) to Neutral from Outperform. The firm also lowered its price target on the stock to $92 from $113.

On April 20, Matt Miksic of Barclays lowered the firm’s price recommendation on ABT to $143 from $144. It reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares. He described the company’s Q1 report as mixed, but said there are signs of improvement. The recent pullback in the stock, in his view, creates a buying opportunity, as noted in a research report.

During the company’s earnings call for Q1 2026, Philip Boudreau, CFO & Executive VP of Finance, provided guidance for the second quarter, indicating that adjusted EPS was expected to range between $1.25 and $1.31. Chairman, President & CEO, Robert Ford, explained that the company had chosen not to factor in a potential late-year rebound in respiratory testing, as management did not view it as a prudent assumption for the forecast. He added that if the flu season turned out to be as strong as in prior years, the company had the manufacturing capacity to respond.

He also reiterated management’s expectation that growth would accelerate in the second half of the year, supported by pricing actions in the Nutrition segment, new electrophysiology product launches, and continued momentum in the Core Lab business.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) is a global healthcare company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad range of healthcare products. Its segments include Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices.