Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 0.5% Higher – Time to Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares rose 0.5% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $157.12 and last traded at $156.30. Approximately 1,302,742 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 7,022,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective 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. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $175.94.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $160.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $156.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $373.59 billion, a PE ratio of 22.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.53.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.20%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is presently 71.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total transaction of $930,113.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 18,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,131,683.38. This trade represents a 22.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.