Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Cuts Stake in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 4.8% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 5,660,660 shares of the company’s stock after selling 285,675 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises about 0.9% of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $1,383,692,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blueline Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% in the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Family CFO Inc purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:JNJ traded down $1.93 during trading on Friday, reaching $257.17. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 6,533,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,252,110. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $154.80 and a 12 month high of $269.43. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $237.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $233.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $619.07 billion, a PE ratio of 29.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.02. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 21.83%.The company had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.77 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Johnson & Johnson’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 61.97%.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson to $263 from $254, signaling continued support for the stock even as the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report on the price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson backed a new heart failure device trial, keeping investor focus on its medtech pipeline and longer-term growth opportunities in electrophysiology and cardiovascular care. JNJ Backs New Heart Failure Device Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to highlight JNJ as a strong dividend and defensive healthcare name, with several notes pointing to the company’s earnings consistency and attractive income profile. TipRanks dividend aristocrat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also looking ahead to J&J’s upcoming Q2 earnings report, with previews suggesting the company may again beat expectations, but the market is still waiting for actual results. Zacks Q2 earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: An Illinois appellate court affirmed a $45 million mesothelioma verdict against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue tied to talc-related asbestos allegations, renewing legal risk concerns that can weigh on the shares. Illinois Appellate Court Affirms $45 Million Mesothelioma Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $251.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $283.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.13.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world.

The company’s pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience.