Short Interest in AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) Decreases By 19.9%

18 Apr 2026, 14:15 by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat Gem

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV – Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 20,125,180 shares, a drop of 19.9% from the March 15th total of 25,110,220 shares. Approximately 1.1% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 8,202,339 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Key AbbVie News

Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:

Positive Sentiment: New clinical catalysts — AbbVie’s Phase 4 head‑to‑head psoriasis study could create a meaningful commercial catalyst if results favor its therapy, supporting upside expectations for market share and pricing power. AbbVie’s Head-to-Head Psoriasis Study Sets Up New Catalyst for ABBV Investors
Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion into obesity — AbbVie launched a Phase 1 trial for ABBV‑295, signaling R&D diversification beyond immunology and potential long‑term upside if early data show promise. AbbVie Steps Deeper Into Obesity Market With New Phase 1 ABBV-295 Trial
Positive Sentiment: Real‑world HCV data could shore up legacy franchise value — retrospective safety/efficacy analyses for Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir may support prescribing and lifecycle value. AbbVie’s Real‑World HCV Study: What G/P Safety Data Could Mean for ABBV Investors
Positive Sentiment: Value/dividend thesis — bullish retail/analyst pieces argue AbbVie’s strong dividend yield, cash flows, and durable immunology franchises make it attractive to buy on weakness. This supports demand from income-oriented investors. Why AbbVie Is a No-Brainer Stock to Buy on the Dip
Positive Sentiment: Commercial momentum for Skyrizi and Rinvoq — coverage notes strong sales growth for these franchises, which underpins revenue trajectory and offsets some concerns about valuation and technical weakness. AbbVie Trades Below 50-Day and 200-Day SMA: How to Play the Stock
Neutral Sentiment: Market opportunity context — reports on the Middle East & Africa biosimilars market list AbbVie among players; this highlights long‑term opportunity and competitive pressures from biosimilars but is not an immediate stock mover. Middle East and Africa Biosimilars Market Trends Report 2026-2035, Profiles of AbbVie, Amgen, …
Neutral Sentiment: Sector reports (thyroid eye disease) and comparisons to peers — market analyses and a Pfizer vs. AbbVie piece provide framing on relative strengths and risks but add mixed conclusions rather than a clear near-term catalyst. Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment Market Research Report 2026 Featuring Amgen, … AbbVie vs. Pfizer: One Pharma Dividend Has a Moat — The Other Is Praying for a Pipeline Hit
Negative Sentiment: Technical pressure — multiple outlets highlight ABBV trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages, a short‑term bearish signal that can trigger further selling by technical traders and funds. That is likely the primary driver of today’s downward price move. AbbVie Trades Below 50-Day and 200-Day SMA: How to Play the Stock

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP David Ryan Purdue sold 5,230 shares of AbbVie stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.56, for a total value of $1,221,518.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 2,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $619,868.24. This trade represents a 66.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 22,381 shares of AbbVie stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $5,147,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,771,510. This trade represents a 36.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AbbVie

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ABBV. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of AbbVie during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,865,055,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 457.4% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,536,901 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,439,714,000 after buying an additional 8,646,424 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 106.3% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 13,071,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,986,777,000 after buying an additional 6,736,161 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 914.6% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 5,444,930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,244,112,000 after buying an additional 4,908,260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AbbVie by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 44,629,980 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,179,099,000 after buying an additional 4,190,487 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.23% of the company’s stock.

AbbVie Stock Down 0.3%

ABBV stock traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $208.29. The company had a trading volume of 8,981,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,917,997. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $219.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $223.57. AbbVie has a fifty-two week low of $168.54 and a fifty-two week high of $244.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $368.28 billion, a PE ratio of 88.26, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.38.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.06. AbbVie had a negative return on equity of 1,579.75% and a net margin of 6.91%.The company had revenue of $16.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 earnings per share. AbbVie’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. AbbVie has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.370-14.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.970-3.010 EPS. Research analysts predict that AbbVie will post 12.31 EPS for the current year.

AbbVie Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. AbbVie’s payout ratio is 293.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on AbbVie from $289.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Barclays assumed coverage on AbbVie in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $275.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of AbbVie in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Berenberg Bank set a $275.00 target price on AbbVie in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on AbbVie from $242.00 to $249.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AbbVie

AbbVie Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company that was created as a spin-off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for complex and often chronic medical conditions. Its operations span research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization, with an emphasis on bringing specialty medicines to market across multiple therapeutic areas.

AbbVie’s product portfolio and pipeline cover several major therapeutic categories, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, virology and women’s health.