Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $247.25 and last traded at $246.2140, with a volume of 7245669 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $245.84.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory/clinical catalyst — J&J submitted an sBLA for IMAAVY (nipocalimab) seeking the first FDA‑approved therapy for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, supported by positive pivotal ENERGY trial results; an approval would add a new, high‑value orphan indication. Johnson & Johnson seeks FDA approval of IMAAVY (PR Newswire)
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth story — coverage notes J&J’s pivot to high‑margin MedTech, strong oncology momentum (Darzalex) and Tremfya data, and a roadmap to ~$100B revenue — a narrative that supports multiple buyers seeking defensive growth and yield. Boring Is Beautiful: Why Johnson & Johnson Is Beating the Tech Sector
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical durability for key immunology franchise — new three‑year TREMFYA ulcerative colitis data showing sustained outcomes bolsters confidence in J&J’s ability to offset older drug losses with high‑growth franchises. Johnson & Johnson presents three-year TREMFYA data (MSN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend mechanics — the stock recently went ex‑dividend (quarterly $1.30), a technical event that can create short‑term price movement unrelated to fundamentals; income investors may view dips as buying opportunities. Boring Is Beautiful: Why Johnson & Johnson Is Beating the Tech Sector
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed market signals — analyst notes and options activity are generally upbeat but varied; some price targets have been raised while other coverage is cautious, so near‑term volatility may persist. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Johnson & Johnson (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang — Bayer filed a lawsuit against J&J/Janssen over marketing claims tied to a prostate cancer drug, introducing potential reputational and litigation risk for the biotech unit (timing and financial exposure are uncertain). Bayer files lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Biotech (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Timothy Schmid disclosed recent sales (Form 4 filings), which some investors interpret as profit‑taking and can weigh on sentiment despite being routine. SEC filing: Form 4 (Insider Sale)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on JNJ. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $220.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.70.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $222.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $200.48. The firm has a market cap of $593.35 billion, a PE ratio of 22.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.35.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.06%.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. The trade was a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 26,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,540,469.77. This represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently 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.