Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 2% Higher – What’s Next?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s stock price rose 2% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $256.29 and last traded at $255.7140. Approximately 8,619,168 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the average daily volume of 8,454,772 shares. The stock had previously closed at $250.61.

Key Stories Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted marketing authorization for J&J’s OTTAVA robotic surgery system, a meaningful strategic milestone that expands the company into the fast-growing surgical robotics market. Reuters: Johnson & Johnson’s robotic surgery device gets US FDA marketing authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted the OTTAVA approval as a catalyst, with analysts and market commentary pointing to renewed growth optionality for J&J’s MedTech segment. Benzinga: FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson Table-Integrated OTTAVA Robotic Surgery System
• Positive Sentiment: J&J also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.34 per share and recently lifted full-year sales guidance, supporting the stock’s appeal for income and defensive-growth investors. Yahoo Finance: Johnson & Johnson Raised Its Dividend, Where Does Fair Value Sit?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary on J&J as a “high-growth dividend stock” and a Dividend Aristocrat keeps investor attention on the company, but these pieces are more about valuation and income profile than a new fundamental catalyst. Yahoo Finance: Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare coverage comparing J&J with Abbott underscores J&J’s portfolio pruning strategy, but it does not add a fresh earnings or product surprise. 24/7 Wall St: Johnson & Johnson vs Abbott Laboratories

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings lowered Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Argus upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.30.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $240.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $235.42. The firm has a market cap of $615.56 billion, a PE ratio of 29.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.86%. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is 62.11%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were 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 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.