Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $174.73.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 14th. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $166.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, 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.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ stock traded down $1.66 on Wednesday, hitting $144.75. 8,708,936 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,149,989. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $348.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $143.13 and a 1-year high of $168.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $156.15 and a 200-day moving average of $156.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The business had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 71.78%.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 20,130.0% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,454,473 shares of the company's stock worth $559,832,000 after acquiring an additional 3,437,397 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised 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 valued at $567,826,000 after acquiring an additional 3,244,862 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 228.1% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,389,361 shares of the company's stock worth $549,223,000 after acquiring an additional 2,356,359 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 10.8% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 18,780,645 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,744,979,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831,751 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 16.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,147,352 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,921,565,000 after purchasing an additional 1,829,257 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.