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

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Hold" from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $174.71.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on JNJ shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and set a $166.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Summit Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the second quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 2.8% in the third quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,294 shares of the company's stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.9% in the second quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock worth $507,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the third quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 9,466 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,534,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 0.1 %

JNJ stock traded down $0.20 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $142.07. The stock had a trading volume of 8,819,482 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,014,389. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $140.68 and a 12-month high of $168.85. The firm has a market cap of $342.05 billion, a PE ratio of 20.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company's 50-day moving average price is $149.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $156.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is 71.78%.

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.