Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 1.3% Higher - Here's Why

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) shares were up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $164.87 and last traded at $164.37. Approximately 2,691,103 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 70% from the average daily volume of 8,876,138 shares. The stock had previously closed at $162.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Wolfe Research began coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $159.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $181.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Johnson & Johnson to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Nine equities research 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 company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.67.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.9 %

The firm's 50 day moving average is $148.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $155.86. The stock has a market cap of $394.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.24%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.29 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders 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 yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.59%.

Insider Activity

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 403 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 15,098 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,357,552.70. This represents a 2.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. IFS Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company's stock.

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.

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