Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Sells 2,014 Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC cut its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 8.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 20,590 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,014 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $2,978,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFS Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on JNJ. StockNews.com downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.29.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

NYSE:JNJ opened at $147.03 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $148.51 and its 200 day moving average is $156.03. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $140.68 and a fifty-two week high of $168.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.