Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Down 0.5% - What's Next?

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) fell 0.5% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $143.49 and last traded at $143.79. 1,497,384 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 7,181,067 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.47.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on JNJ. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.73.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.6 %

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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $155.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $156.37. The company has a market capitalization of $349.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is presently 71.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Vinva Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 111,448 shares of the company's stock worth $17,988,000 after purchasing an additional 7,110 shares in the last quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 185,093 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,996,000 after purchasing an additional 9,309 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 22,629 shares of the company's stock worth $3,667,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,639,368 shares of the company's stock worth $2,858,543,000 after purchasing an additional 102,502 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at about $69,859,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.