Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Up 1.5% – Should You Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) rose 1.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $278.05 and last traded at $275.17. Approximately 5,991,073 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the average daily volume of 7,956,292 shares. The stock had previously closed at $271.04.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson’s strong third-quarter performance continues to support the stock. The company previously reported adjusted EPS of $2.59, ahead of the $2.53 consensus estimate, while revenue of $25.40 billion rose 5.9% year over year and narrowly exceeded expectations. Analysts expect full-year 2026 EPS of approximately $11.12, within management’s $11.05–$11.15 guidance range. Johnson & Johnson: Strong Q3 Growth, But 2027 Could Test Its Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson presented a record 26 abstracts at the 2026 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference, adding to more than two decades of data on the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of its Impella heart pumps. The disclosures reinforce the growth and competitive positioning of the company’s medtech portfolio. Record 26 Abstracts at TCT 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Broader strength among large pharmaceutical companies is helping sector sentiment. Merck’s earnings beat and higher outlook, along with strong performance from Eli Lilly, place JNJ among several major healthcare names attracting investor interest. Merck, Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson Market Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally constructive, but investors are questioning whether JNJ’s recent gains and premium valuation adequately reflect future cash-flow growth. Potential earnings pressure in 2027 could limit further upside. Johnson & Johnson Stock Trades at a Discount Following Its 97% Run
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of JNJ investors. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but renewed litigation attention may increase headline risk and investor uncertainty. Pomerantz Investor Alert Regarding Johnson & Johnson

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on JNJ. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $298.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Argus set a $300.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $275.92.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $265.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $246.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $662.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.21.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $25.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.38 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 31.64%. The business’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 81.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $4,090,926.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 33,597 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.74, for a total transaction of $9,230,439.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,991,308.78. This trade represents a 56.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 64,515 shares of company stock worth $17,271,766 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Financial Group LLC IL boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 11.8% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Financial Group LLC IL now owns 1,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Hollow Brook Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 23.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hollow Brook Wealth Management LLC now owns 50,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,475,000 after purchasing an additional 9,742 shares during the last quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.5% during the third quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC now owns 93,481 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,748,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the period. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.4% in the third quarter. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $602,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the period. Finally, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 2,906,056 shares of the company’s stock worth $770,978,000 after purchasing an additional 183,100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a global healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Founded in 1886, the company develops and markets products and services for patients, healthcare professionals and institutions worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson operates through two principal segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Innovative Medicine focuses on pharmaceuticals for areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and cardiovascular conditions.