Insider Selling: Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) VP Sells $930,113.10 in Stock

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total value of $930,113.10. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 18,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,131,683.38. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock traded up $1.30 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $167.16. The company had a trading volume of 6,859,224 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,271,883. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $402.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s fifty day moving average is $156.02 and its 200-day moving average is $153.53. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $143.13 and a 12-month high of $167.81.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The company had revenue of $22.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.80 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.02 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.97%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.21.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth about $31,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.