Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Up 1.2% – Here’s Why

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) traded up 1.2% on Friday . The company traded as high as $272.66 and last traded at $270.69. 6,175,151 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 25% from the average session volume of 8,244,263 shares. The stock had previously closed at $267.37.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted 510(k) clearance for the MONARCH QUEST 3 robotic bronchoscopy update. The system adds artificial-intelligence-powered planning, navigation and imaging capabilities, strengthening J&J’s position in the expanding robotic-assisted medical-procedure market. Johnson & Johnson Wins FDA 510(k) Clearance for MONARCH QUEST 3 Update
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved TECVAYLI combined with daratumumab for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The decision was supported by Phase 3 results showing statistically significant progression-free and overall-survival improvements versus standard treatments, potentially expanding sales of J&J’s oncology portfolio. European Commission approves Johnson & Johnson’s TECVAYLI plus daratumumab
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to favor J&J as a dividend-focused healthcare investment, citing its diversified operations and pipeline strength. Recent quarterly results also showed adjusted earnings and revenue ahead of consensus, with revenue up 6.6% year over year and full-year 2026 earnings guidance maintained at $11.60–$11.75 per share. Merck vs. J&J: Which Healthcare Giant Should Investors Choose?
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J’s potential interest in Seaport Therapeutics highlights continued investor focus on neuroscience and business-development opportunities, but no transaction has been announced. Why Bristol Myers, Johnson & Johnson and More Are Watching Seaport After IPO
• Negative Sentiment: Patent-protection losses remain a longer-term risk for several established drugs, although new medicines and recent approvals could help offset declining legacy-product sales. Johnson & Johnson Just Sent Shareholders an Important Message About Its Future

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on JNJ. HSBC set a $290.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Freedom Capital upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $268.22.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.2%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $254.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $242.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market cap of $652.34 billion, a PE ratio of 31.37, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 62.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $4,090,926.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total value of $5,792,778.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 63,972 shares of company stock valued at $16,245,605. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% during the 4th 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 period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth $2,005,942,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at $1,967,399,000. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the first 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 period. 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.