Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $173.21.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on JNJ shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 18th. StockNews.com upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Daiwa America lowered Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $165.52 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $398.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a 50 day moving average of $159.55 and a 200-day moving average of $154.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Johnson & Johnson has a 1 year low of $143.13 and a 1 year high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $22.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.33 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 36.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th were given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.00%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.92%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total value of $930,113.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 18,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,131,683.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Meridian Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,626,000. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 26.3% in the first quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,392 shares of the company’s stock worth $853,000 after buying an additional 1,122 shares during the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 9,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,428,000 after buying an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC now owns 47,186 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,464,000 after buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.8% during the first quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,044,000 after purchasing an additional 2,151 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.