Avanza Fonder AB Makes New $37.42 Million Investment in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Avanza Fonder AB bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 258,749 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,420,000. Johnson & Johnson accounts for approximately 1.1% of Avanza Fonder AB's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vinva Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 111,448 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,988,000 after acquiring an additional 7,110 shares in the last quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 185,093 shares of the company's stock worth $29,996,000 after buying an additional 9,309 shares during the period. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the third quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 22,629 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,667,000 after acquiring an additional 3,710 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,639,368 shares of the company's stock worth $2,858,543,000 after acquiring an additional 102,502 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at $69,859,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JNJ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective 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. Wolfe Research started coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $174.29.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.5 %

JNJ stock traded down $0.74 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $147.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,678,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,880,262. The company's fifty day moving average price is $148.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $156.03. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $140.68 and a twelve month high of $168.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $353.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the 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 acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

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.