Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 1,321,924 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Franklin Resources Inc. decreased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 7.6% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 16,137,501 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,321,924 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson comprises 0.7% of Franklin Resources Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $2,992,215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 707.1% during the third quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $243.75 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $587.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.34. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $141.50 and a 1-year high of $251.71. The company’s 50-day moving average is $229.80 and its 200 day moving average is $205.27.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 33.04% and a net margin of 28.46%.The business had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. Research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is 47.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Loop Capital set a $220.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $208.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.87.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approved the combination of TECVAYLI (teclistamab‑cqyv) plus DARZALEX FASPRO for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, supported by Phase‑3 MajesTEC‑3 data showing improved progression‑free and overall survival — a meaningful commercial and clinical win that can expand J&J’s oncology revenue and shift treatment patterns earlier in the therapy line. How FDA Approval of TECVAYLI and DARZALEX FASPRO Combo At Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: EU expanded approval of Akeega to include BRCA‑mutated metastatic hormone‑sensitive prostate cancer — label expansion that can broaden addressable market in oncology and supports incremental sales in EMEA. JNJ Gets EU Nod for Expanded Use of Akeega in Prostate Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s presentation at the Barclays Global Healthcare Conference provides updated commentary on pipeline priorities and commercialization plans — useful for tracking execution but not a discrete catalyst by itself. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Presents at Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/valuation pieces and recent share‑price momentum have revived investor attention — this could sustain trading interest but depends on execution and revenue contribution from recent approvals. Assessing Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Valuation As Recent Share Moves Revive Investor Interest
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20.8% in February to ~25.09M shares (≈1.0% of shares), raising the short‑interest ratio to ~2.5 days — a small bearish signal that can add volatility if sentiment turns.
• Negative Sentiment: Two J&J units agreed to pay about $65M to settle a Tracleer antitrust class action — a modest cash cost relative to J&J’s size but a legal/expense item to note. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Units to Pay $65 Million in Tracleer Antitrust Class Action Settlement, Reuters Reports

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total value of $1,508,287.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,598,700.17. This trade represents a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total value of $5,527,477.59. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 26,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,540,469.77. This trade represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528 in the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world.

The company’s pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience.