Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $174.73.

Several equities research analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.4% in the third quarter. Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC now owns 21,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,414,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,859,000. DGS Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 17.5% during the 3rd quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $876,000 after acquiring an additional 804 shares during the last quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $676,000. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 4.0% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 1,243,090 shares of the company’s stock worth $201,455,000 after purchasing an additional 48,250 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $144.47 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $155.16 and its 200 day moving average is $156.30. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $142.75 and a 12-month high of $168.85. The stock has a market cap of $347.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.66 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.