Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading Up 0.6% – Should You Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shot up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $144.56 and last traded at $144.21. 1,114,783 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 7,150,109 shares. The stock had previously closed at $143.34.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Guggenheim raised their target price 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. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.73.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $346.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $153.32 and its 200-day moving average is $156.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 26th were given a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.45%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.78%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired 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 $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. Summit Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the third quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.9% in the second quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 9,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,534,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.