Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Up 3.4% – Here’s Why

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares rose 3.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $263.10 and last traded at $262.5160. 7,896,074 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 7% from the average daily volume of 8,484,739 shares. The stock had previously closed at $253.98.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Members of Congress have been buying J&J shares, which can signal confidence in the company’s prospects and may attract attention from retail investors. Members of Congress Are Loading Up on Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth. Here’s Why Retail Investors Should Pay Attention.
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson launched its Dual-Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF cardiac ablation platform in Europe, adding a commercial growth catalyst in its medtech business. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Launches Dual-Energy Cardiac Ablation Catheter in Europe
• Positive Sentiment: J&J is being highlighted as a top dividend and defensive healthcare name, with articles pointing to its reliable cash flow, dividend profile, and long-term appeal. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Focused on Cancer and Neuroscience as a Top Dividend Aristocrat Stock to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Recent updates say J&J is strengthening its cancer pipeline, including European progress for Tecvayli in combination with Darzalex and an acquisition of Firefly Bio to expand oncology research. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Expands Cancer Pipeline As Talc Verdict Eases One Risk
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market commentary pieces reiterated bullish Wall Street views and compared J&J favorably with AbbVie, supporting the stock’s valuation narrative but not adding a major new catalyst. Is It Worth Investing in Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J was also featured in dividend-income and portfolio articles, which helps reinforce its reputation as a stable income stock, though these pieces are unlikely to move shares much on their own. J&J or AbbVie: Which Stock Deserves a Place in Your Portfolio Now?
• Negative Sentiment: No major negative company-specific headline stood out in the latest set of articles; the closest risk item is that ongoing litigation remains a background concern, even as one recent talc verdict went J&J’s way. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Expands Cancer Pipeline As Talc Verdict Eases One Risk

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on JNJ. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $253.00 to $254.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $274.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $283.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $256.70.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

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 firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $233.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $631.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.35, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.77 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.0%. This is an increase from Johnson & Johnson’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 61.97%.

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 dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,560,551.20. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sierra Capital LLC grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Sierra Capital LLC now owns 8,144 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,685,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $501,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Ballast Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Ballast Advisors LLC now owns 3,598 shares of the company’s stock worth $879,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Broadleaf Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Broadleaf Partners LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,521,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Jessup Wealth Management Inc now owns 7,574 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.