Prospector Partners LLC Sells 8,788 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Prospector Partners LLC lessened its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 74,542 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,788 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for about 1.7% of Prospector Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Prospector Partners LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $13,822,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 13.9% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 51,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,502,000 after buying an additional 6,332 shares during the last quarter. United Bank grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 110.7% in the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 9,279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 4,876 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 13.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,863 shares of the company’s stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 1,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $226,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Sendero Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sendero Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,276,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Announced a >$1 billion investment to build a next‑generation cell‑therapy manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania as part of a multi‑year U.S. manufacturing expansion — expands capacity for JNJ’s cell/biologic pipeline and signals long‑term revenue growth potential. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: FDA approved a simplified monthly dosing schedule for RYBREVANT FASPRO (amivantamab + hyaluronidase), improving convenience for EGFR+ NSCLC patients and potentially boosting uptake and product competitiveness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for subcutaneous amivantamab (RYBREVANT FASPRO) in advanced head & neck cancer — could speed development and improve commercial prospects if confirmatory data follow. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Raised the quarterly dividend to $1.30 (annualized $5.20), reinforcing the shareholder‑yield profile that supports income‑oriented ownership. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity around JNJ has increased, which can amplify short‑term moves; useful for traders but not a fundamental driver by itself. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Small contract extension with Trellus Health keeps a patient‑support program in place — operationally positive but immaterial to overall revenue. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: two executive vice presidents disclosed sizable stock sales this week (Vanessa Broadhurst sold ~6,197 shares at ~$243.39; Timothy Schmid sold ~22,623 shares at ~$244.33). Large insider sales can weigh on sentiment even if motivated by diversification or tax planning. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing talc litigation and recent verdict coverage keep legal risk and potential liabilities on the radar — this continues to cap valuation upside despite operational wins. Read More.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on JNJ. Argus upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Freedom Capital downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Loop Capital set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $262.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.73.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This trade represents a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total transaction of $5,527,477.59. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 26,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,540,469.77. This represents a 45.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.6%

JNJ stock opened at $244.89 on Thursday. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $141.50 and a 52 week high of $246.35. The company has a market capitalization of $590.17 billion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.35. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $219.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $198.21. 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 (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The firm had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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

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.