M. Kraus & Co Lowers Stock Position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

M. Kraus & Co trimmed its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 51,676 shares of the company’s stock after selling 636 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises 2.2% of M. Kraus & Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. M. Kraus & Co’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $7,473,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter worth about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted 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. Activest Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE:JNJ opened at $144.74 on Thursday. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $140.68 and a 52-week high of $168.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $149.12 and a 200 day moving average of $156.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $348.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.