Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Climb 3.9% – Here’s What Happened

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) traded up 3.9% on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $277.35 and last traded at $276.6240. 9,541,987 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 20% from the average session volume of 7,951,446 shares. The stock had previously closed at $266.17.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain moderately bullish after J&J’s strong performance over the past year, offering support for the stock’s outlook. Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Johnson & Johnson Stock Will Climb or Sink?
• Positive Sentiment: The State Street Health Care SPDR (XLV) added J&J shares as part of $175.3 million in purchases across all 60 of its holdings. The buying may provide modest investment demand, though the report did not specify the amount allocated to J&J. State Street Health Care SPDR Adds Eli Lilly and J&J
• Neutral Sentiment: A Trefis article examines whether J&J looks expensive. With shares near their 12-month high, valuation is a consideration, but the article listing does not provide enough detail to assess its conclusion. If Johnson & Johnson Stock Looks Expensive, You Need To Read This
• Neutral Sentiment: Smith+Nephew cut its outlook and confirmed failed merger talks involving J&J’s orthopaedics unit. The reports do not establish a direct financial impact on J&J; the failed talks may simply mean a potential strategic deal will not proceed. Smith+Nephew Cuts Outlook, Confirms Failed Merger Talks
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP says it is investigating investor claims involving J&J. An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing, but the announcement may add some legal-risk concern for investors. Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims on Behalf of J&J Investors

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Johnson Rice downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $287.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $278.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $275.92.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 3.9%

The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $265.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $247.46. The stock has a market cap of $665.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.22.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 31.64% and a net margin of 16.20%. The company had revenue of $25.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is 81.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,367,458. The trade was a 48.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 33,597 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.74, for a total transaction of $9,230,439.78. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,991,308.78. This trade represents a 56.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 64,515 shares of company stock valued at $17,271,766 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Outlook Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Matrix Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 56.2% in the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Navigoe LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 60.4% during the 3rd quarter. Navigoe LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth $52,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a global healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Founded in 1886, the company develops and markets products and services for patients, healthcare professionals and institutions worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson operates through two principal segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Innovative Medicine focuses on pharmaceuticals for areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and cardiovascular conditions.