Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Rating Cut to Hold at Erste Group Bank

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by equities researchers at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, Briefing.com reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on JNJ. Weiss Ratings upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Leerink Partners cut their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $276.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $278.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $270.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $275.92.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $259.42 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $625.17 billion, a PE ratio of 39.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.21. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $184.66 and a fifty-two week high of $281.07. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $249.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 31.54%. The firm had revenue of $25.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.80 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson’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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 33,597 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.74, for a total value of $9,230,439.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,991,308.78. This represents a 56.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total value of $3,950,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at $51,210,615.36. This trade represents a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 64,515 shares of company stock valued at $17,271,766. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Silver Coast Investments LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC now owns 1,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Townsend Asset Management Corp NC ADV boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Townsend Asset Management Corp NC ADV now owns 6,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,630,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% in the second quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 2,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $643,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Kwmg LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.7% in the third quarter. Kwmg LLC now owns 2,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $631,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.2% during the second quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 3,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $839,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: MedTech launch supports growth: J&J introduced the next-generation Shockwave C2 Aero Fly coronary intravascular lithotripsy catheter in the U.S. The device delivers pulses at 2 Hz and is designed to reduce treatment time for calcified coronary lesions, potentially improving physician adoption and strengthening J&J’s cardiovascular portfolio. J&J launches Shockwave C2 Aero Fly catheter
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline data remains constructive: TREMFYA maintained or improved remission in Crohn’s disease patients with perianal fistulas through 48 weeks, supporting the drug’s potential expansion and helping offset concerns about future competition to older products. J&J TREMFYA Crohn’s disease data
• Positive Sentiment: Supportive analyst view: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating and $300 price target, citing underappreciated pharmaceutical and MedTech growth. J&J’s latest quarterly results also exceeded EPS and revenue expectations, providing a favorable earnings backdrop.
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition strategy under review: Analysts see growing sales from acquired heart technologies and a larger hospital network, but competition, development costs and the need to convert revenue growth into stronger ownership returns remain concerns. J&J medical device deals analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and valuation risks: Rapport reported positive Phase II results for a novel oral bipolar drug licensed from J&J, potentially creating a future competitor to J&J’s Caplyta. Separately, JLPascual downgraded J&J to Sell, while commentary highlights that the stock trades at a premium multiple and must sustain earnings growth to justify it.

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.