Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading Up 0.7% – Time to Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares rose 0.7% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $148.86 and last traded at $148.00. Approximately 2,339,691 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 8,031,792 shares. The stock had previously closed at $147.03.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on JNJ shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.29.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.5 %

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $148.35 and its 200-day moving average is $156.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $355.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.51.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.36%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is 71.78%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Insight Inv LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 11,424 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,652,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the last quarter. Advocate Group LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Advocate Group LLC now owns 60,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,815,000 after purchasing an additional 3,171 shares during the last quarter. First Bancorp Inc ME boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. First Bancorp Inc ME now owns 8,279 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,197,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Monte Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Monte Financial Group LLC now owns 36,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,231,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the period. Finally, CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 30,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,440,000 after acquiring an additional 613 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Company 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.