Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) had its price target lifted by Barclays from $159.00 to $166.00 in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Leerink Partners dropped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $182.00 to $169.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Wolfe Research began 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $152.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 25th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $170.44.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

JNJ stock traded down $0.36 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $152.52. The stock had a trading volume of 4,080,462 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,410,471. The stock's 50 day moving average is $147.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $156.07. The firm has a market cap of $367.20 billion, a PE ratio of 22.93, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $140.68 and a 52 week high of $168.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 34.35% and a net margin of 18.20%. The firm had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.29 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.25%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.59%.

Insider Activity

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. IFS Advisors LLC grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.