Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Sold by Ritholtz Wealth Management

Ritholtz Wealth Management lowered its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 57,908 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,387 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $8,375,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. IFS Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $147.03 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $148.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $155.96. The stock has a market cap of $353.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $140.68 and a 1-year high of $168.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The business’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.66 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.29.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

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.