Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Up 1.3% – Time to Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shot up 1.3% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $246.81 and last traded at $245.5270. 9,015,459 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 5% from the average session volume of 9,528,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $242.49.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst/retail coverage highlights JNJ as a long-term buy thanks to its dividend-king status, diversification and defensive growth profile. The Only Healthcare Stock I’d Buy and Never Sell Might Be Johnson & Johnson
• Positive Sentiment: Bloomberg/InsiderMonkey report that J&J is exploring a possible sale of its orthopedics unit DePuy Synthes as part of a separation plan — a divestiture could raise cash, simplify the company and boost stakeholder returns. Bloomberg Reports Potential Major Asset Sale by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
• Positive Sentiment: Forbes highlights a “triple threat” — oncology sales growth, MedTech rebound, and an earnings beat — supporting upside expectations and valuation momentum. Does JNJ Stock Still Offer Value?
• Positive Sentiment: J&J is in the S&P 500 spotlight with coverage noting recent strength and investor interest, which can attract flows and lift the share price. Johnson and Johnson Surges in s&p 500 Spotlight
• Neutral Sentiment: JNJ announced a first co-funding agreement with Blackstone — a strategic partnership that could finance growth initiatives but hasn’t materially moved the stock on its own. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Flat despite First Co-funding Agreement with Blackstone
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative sector analysis (vs. AbbVie) and commentary on JNJ’s $32B R&D push underline longer-term growth potential but are informational rather than immediate catalysts. Johnson & Johnson vs. AbbVie: A Growth Showdown Amid Patent Cliffs
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity was reported — suggests elevated trader interest/speculation but not a direct directional signal. Johnson & Johnson Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:JNJ)
• Negative Sentiment: German drugmaker Bayer filed a lawsuit in New York against J&J and Janssen over its Nubeqa prostate cancer drug — legal risk and potential costs introduce downside risk and headline volatility. Bayer files lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Biotech
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary from Bayer frames J&J’s claims as false in ongoing disputes — continued litigation headlines could weigh on sentiment while outcomes remain uncertain. “J&J’s Claims of Superiority… Are False”: Johnson & Johnson Stock Rises despite Bayer Lawsuit

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on JNJ shares. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $197.00 to $217.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $232.70.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $591.70 billion, a PE ratio of 22.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $221.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $199.44.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 1,322 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.66, for a total value of $324,762.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,251,310.02. The trade was a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,598,700.17. This trade represents a 21.22% 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 worth $7,360,528 over the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,005,942,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 15,040.6% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,420,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,512,000 after purchasing an additional 7,371,687 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 240,349,660 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,740,362,000 after purchasing an additional 3,731,074 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 41.7% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,423,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,571,124,000 after purchasing an additional 3,655,754 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.