Analysts Set Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) PT at $174.71

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $174.71.

JNJ has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup decreased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Achmea Investment Management B.V. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 219,746 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,118,000 after acquiring an additional 16,340 shares during the last quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 6.4% during the second quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 48,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,069,000 after purchasing an additional 2,920 shares during the last quarter. PFG Advisors grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 32,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,681,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 36.5% in the 2nd quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC now owns 3,677 shares of the company’s stock valued at $537,000 after buying an additional 983 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wambolt & Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 18,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,637,000 after buying an additional 1,922 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $147.78 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $355.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 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 simple moving average of $148.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $156.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

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.