Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 13,694 Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 15.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 101,111 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 13,694 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $14,623,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 240,605 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,167,000 after acquiring an additional 31,908 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 1,126,658 shares of the company's stock worth $164,672,000 after purchasing an additional 109,205 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 31.8% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,634,863 shares of the company's stock valued at $238,951,000 after purchasing an additional 394,518 shares during the last quarter. Kiely Wealth Advisory Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 5.7% during the second quarter. Kiely Wealth Advisory Group Inc. now owns 1,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 30.7% in the second quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 45,920 shares of the company's stock worth $6,712,000 after buying an additional 10,789 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:JNJ traded down $0.74 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $147.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,678,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,880,262. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $140.68 and a 12-month high of $168.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $148.51 and a 200-day moving average of $156.03. 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 Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is 71.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on JNJ. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $174.29.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average price 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 legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson 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.