Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Up 0.8% - Still a Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) traded up 0.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $143.67 and last traded at $143.43. 2,411,472 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 65% from the average session volume of 6,904,866 shares. The stock had previously closed at $142.27.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on JNJ shares. Wolfe Research began 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 on the stock. Bank of America reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $166.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $342.05 billion, a PE ratio of 20.56, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $149.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $155.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

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.