Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $218.21, but opened at $211.00. Johnson & Johnson shares last traded at $215.7060, with a volume of 4,192,436 shares.

More Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and adjusted EPS beat expectations, and management provided 2026 guidance slightly above consensus — supporting the company’s growth narrative. Johnson & Johnson reports Q4 and Full-Year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology and MedTech were key drivers: strong cancer drug sales (Darzalex and others) helped offset weakness elsewhere, and positive Phase‑3 results on Caplyta/CAPLYTA boosted sentiment around pipeline upside. J&J Stock Down Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Oncology Drugs Drive Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Company projects ~ $99.5–$100.5B in 2026 revenue and EPS of $11.43–$11.63, a forward outlook management says accounts for a recent drug‑pricing agreement — guidance that beat estimates on the top and bottom lines. Johnson & Johnson forecasts 2026 profit above Wall Street estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Market dynamics and positioning: shares pulled back on earnings day largely due to profit‑taking after a strong 2025 rally and broader risk‑off moves; some outlets flagged differing takes on whether EPS “missed” or “beat” by a razor margin, adding short‑term noise. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Drops Despite Earnings Beat and Strong 2026 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Talc litigation remains an active risk: plaintiffs cleared a key expert‑testimony hurdle in talc suits, renewing potential legal exposure and headline risk for JNJ. Johnson & Johnson Talc Plaintiffs Clear Key Expert Testimony Hurdle
• Negative Sentiment: Stelara franchise faces biosimilar pressure (noted steep declines in prior periods after patent losses), which investors see as a material headwind for immunology sales going forward. J&J Stock Down Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Oncology Drugs Drive Sales

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $212.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $240.00 price objective on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $215.00 to $232.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $213.33.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 0.1%

The stock has a market cap of $525.23 billion, a PE ratio of 21.01, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.07. The business has a 50-day moving average of $206.92 and a 200 day moving average of $188.05.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $24.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.14 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 27.26% and a return on equity of 32.73%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.04 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.430-11.630 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 is Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 50.19%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Cane Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $1,384,000. MBL Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. MBL Wealth LLC now owns 10,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,271,000 after acquiring an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. Steadtrust LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 21.2% during the 4th quarter. Steadtrust LLC now owns 3,316 shares of the company’s stock worth $686,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC now owns 10,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,180,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, South Shore Capital Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $2,835,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.