Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Shares Acquired by LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.

LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 770.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,310 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 99,411 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson comprises approximately 1.2% of LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $27,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,436,633,000 after buying an additional 69,108,368 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,005,942,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,338,000 after acquiring an additional 4,454,778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 240,349,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,740,362,000 after acquiring an additional 3,731,074 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $253.70 on Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $154.80 and a fifty-two week high of $269.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $238.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $610.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.33, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.02. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 32.60%. The business had revenue of $24.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Johnson & Johnson to post a solid Q2 print, with commentary pointing to an upbeat report even as Stelara faces headwinds. Johnson & Johnson: Analysts see upbeat Q2 print despite Stelara headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Several preview pieces say JNJ is trading near all-time highs and could still have more upside if earnings and guidance come in strong. Johnson & Johnson Q2 Preview: Stock Near All-Time Highs, Market Expert Sees Rally to $282
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target on JNJ to $287 from $265 and maintained an outperform rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment.
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also highlighted JNJ’s strong year-to-date run and defensive healthcare appeal, which has supported investor demand ahead of earnings. Johnson & Johnson Reports Q2 Earnings Tomorrow. What Investors Should Expect.
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles focused on JNJ as a dividend and income stock, which may support valuation but did not add new material catalysts. How to earn $500 a month from Johnson & Johnson stock ahead of Q2 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary noted the stock’s rich valuation after a big rally, suggesting investors may be paying a premium heading into the report. What Lilly’s Peer-Beating Numbers Cost You

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Argus upped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $283.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $261.26.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total transaction of $2,411,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at $27,560,551.20. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.