Royal Bank Of Canada Reiterates Outperform Rating for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by equities research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $255.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 5.01% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $217.00 to $234.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $236.91.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE JNJ traded up $2.38 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $242.83. 2,511,216 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,843,199. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $584.88 billion, a PE ratio of 21.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $141.50 and a 12 month high of $251.71. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $237.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $210.94.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly 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. As a group, analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This represents a 21.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total value of $5,527,477.59. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC raised 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 buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 49 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.