Short Interest in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Grows By 9.1%

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 18,760,000 shares, a growth of 9.1% from the January 15th total of 17,200,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days. Approximately 0.8% of the company's stock are short sold.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE JNJ traded up $2.58 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $157.57. 3,517,707 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,877,020. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $140.68 and a 52-week high of $168.85. The company has a market capitalization of $379.37 billion, a PE ratio of 23.71, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm's 50-day moving average is $148.12 and its 200-day moving average is $155.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.24%. The company had revenue of $22.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.29 EPS. Johnson & Johnson's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.15%. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is 74.59%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JNJ has been the subject of several research reports. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $181.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $170.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 403 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.15, for a total value of $62,928.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 15,098 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,357,552.70. The trade was a 2.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value 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 disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. IFS Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.