Empirical Asset Management LLC Purchases 83,242 Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Empirical Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 1,090.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 90,874 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 83,242 shares during the quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $13,142,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 20,130.0% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,454,473 shares of the company's stock worth $559,832,000 after buying an additional 3,437,397 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 506.9% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,884,962 shares of the company's stock worth $567,826,000 after acquiring an additional 3,244,862 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 228.1% during the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,389,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $549,223,000 after acquiring an additional 2,356,359 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 11.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,840,069 shares of the company's stock worth $2,721,355,000 after purchasing an additional 1,729,281 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter worth about $225,040,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on JNJ. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $174.29.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of JNJ traded down $0.74 on Friday, hitting $147.03. 10,678,393 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,880,262. The company has a market capitalization of $353.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $140.68 and a one year high of $168.85. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $148.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $156.03.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% 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.