Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 25,086,679 shares, a growth of 20.8% from the February 12th total of 20,767,056 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 10,013,422 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 10,013,422 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Leerink Partners raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $201.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $208.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Loop Capital set a $220.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Argus lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.57.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target to $280 and kept a “buy” rating, giving JNJ meaningful upside vs. current levels — a direct bullish signal from a large bank that can support longer‑term investor interest. HSBC raises PT to $280
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst pieces argue JNJ can reach $280, highlighting strong recent performance and portfolio catalysts that underpin upside potential for patient buyers. Why One Analyst Thinks J&J Reaches $280
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical progress: J&J reported a Phase I win for its Erda‑iDRS bladder cancer candidate (strong responses, durable control, manageable safety), supporting mid‑to‑late stage development and potential future revenue streams from oncology. JNJ’s bladder cancer therapy meets key goal
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory filing: J&J submitted a Type II variation to the EMA seeking TECVAYLI approval for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — a commercial expansion that could boost oncology sales in Europe if approved. TECVAYLI EMA submission
• Neutral Sentiment: Product rollout: J&J launched a pulsed field ablation (PFA) technology in Peru, demonstrating continued commercial rollouts in medtech that expand procedural offerings but are unlikely to move near‑term earnings materially. PFA Peru launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation check: Several writeups ask whether JNJ is fully priced after large multi‑year gains, prompting debate among investors about upside vs. stretched multiples — discussion that can increase volatility but isn’t a direct operational negative. Is it time to reassess J&J?
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term selling: Coverage notes JNJ “slid” while the broader market rose, indicating profit‑taking/rotation rather than company‑specific bad news — this pressure offsets some of the positive catalysts in the short term. JNJ stock slides as market rises
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/positioning risk: After a large YTD and multi‑year run, some investors may be de‑risking, increasing downside sensitivity to broader market swings and any disappointing execution updates. Market patience for buyers

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other 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 transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This represents a 21.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 30,142 shares of company stock valued at $7,360,528 in the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% during the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE JNJ traded down $5.01 on Tuesday, hitting $238.18. The stock had a trading volume of 7,279,967 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,039,261. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $232.69 and a 200-day moving average of $207.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $141.50 and a 52-week high of $251.71. The company has a market capitalization of $573.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.34.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is presently 47.06%.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.