Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Boosts Holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 179,539 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 503 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 0.9% of Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $25,965,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ traded up $2.07 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $144.13. The stock had a trading volume of 4,853,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,561,123. The firm has a market cap of $347.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.86, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $140.68 and a 12 month high of $168.85. The business has a fifty day moving average of $149.67 and a 200 day moving average of $156.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The company’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.66 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson 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.