Vanguard Group Inc. Decreases Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 0.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 236,618,586 shares of the company’s stock after selling 429,273 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises approximately 0.7% of Vanguard Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 9.82% of Johnson & Johnson worth $43,873,818,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% in the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 707.1% during the 3rd quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $243.37 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $217.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $196.79. The company has a market cap of $586.51 billion, a PE ratio of 22.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.35. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $141.50 and a 12-month high of $246.35.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The business had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.06%.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly praised J&J on-air, calling the company “amazing,” which can boost retail investor interest and provide short-term support for the stock. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Is Amazing, Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street Zen cut JNJ to a Hold, signaling reduced upside conviction from at least one boutique research provider; that can temper buying enthusiasm but is not a major institutional downgrade. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen
• Negative Sentiment: A Pennsylvania jury found J&J liable in a talc/ovarian-cancer case and ordered $250,000 in damages to the family of Gayle Emerson — a reminder that ongoing talc litigation continues to create legal costs, uncertainty and headline risk for the company. Jury: Johnson & Johnson Liable in Case Linking Baby Powder to Cancer

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $232.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Bank of America increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $220.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $262.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.73.

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.