Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on JNJ. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $142.10 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $342.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.56, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $150.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $156.13. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $141.44 and a twelve month high of $168.85.

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

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% during the third quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.