Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 0.5% Higher – Still a Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) rose 0.5% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $161.88 and last traded at $161.70. Approximately 630,531 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 6,978,895 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.88.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $175.93.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $163.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $155.28. The company has a market capitalization of $385.41 billion, a PE ratio of 9.98, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.52.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.46%. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.66 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 30.92%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total transaction of $930,113.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,973 shares in the company, valued at $3,131,683.38. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Meridian Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at $1,626,000. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 26.3% in the 1st quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,392 shares of the company’s stock worth $853,000 after purchasing an additional 1,122 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC now owns 47,186 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,464,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. NTV Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% during the first quarter. NTV Asset Management LLC now owns 36,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,695,000 after buying an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cooper Haims Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 6.4% in the first quarter. Cooper Haims Advisors LLC now owns 3,358 shares of the company’s stock worth $531,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.