Barclays Boosts Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Price Target to $166.00

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) had its price objective increased by Barclays from $159.00 to $166.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on JNJ. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Argus upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Bank of America lowered their price target 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. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $163.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $181.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $170.44.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ stock traded down $0.78 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $152.09. 8,457,737 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,773,020. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $147.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $156.09. The company has a market cap of $366.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 1 year low of $140.68 and a 1 year high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.35%. The business's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.29 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is currently 74.59%.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IFS Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC raised its position 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 purchasing 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.