Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Down 1.9% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) fell 1.9% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $258.13 and last traded at $258.4810. Approximately 6,298,053 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 25% from the average session volume of 8,433,620 shares. The stock had previously closed at $263.40.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson to $263 from $254, signaling continued support for the stock even as the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report on the price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson backed a new heart failure device trial, keeping investor focus on its medtech pipeline and longer-term growth opportunities in electrophysiology and cardiovascular care. JNJ Backs New Heart Failure Device Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to highlight JNJ as a strong dividend and defensive healthcare name, with several notes pointing to the company’s earnings consistency and attractive income profile. TipRanks dividend aristocrat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also looking ahead to J&J’s upcoming Q2 earnings report, with previews suggesting the company may again beat expectations, but the market is still waiting for actual results. Zacks Q2 earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: An Illinois appellate court affirmed a $45 million mesothelioma verdict against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue tied to talc-related asbestos allegations, renewing legal risk concerns that can weigh on the shares. Illinois Appellate Court Affirms $45 Million Mesothelioma Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $283.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Leerink Partners upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.13.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $619.07 billion, a PE ratio of 29.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $237.07 and a 200 day moving average of $233.05.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.02. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 21.83%.The firm had revenue of $24.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.77 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 26th. This is a positive change from Johnson & Johnson’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% in the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Family CFO Inc bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.