Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Purchased by Retirement Systems of Alabama

Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 4.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,243,090 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 48,250 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for about 0.8% of Retirement Systems of Alabama's holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned 0.05% of Johnson & Johnson worth $201,455,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vinva Investment Management Ltd increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 7,110 shares during the last quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 5.3% during the third quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 185,093 shares of the company's stock worth $29,996,000 after purchasing an additional 9,309 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter worth about $1,626,000. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 22,629 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,667,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,639,368 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,858,543,000 after buying an additional 102,502 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE JNJ traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $146.60. The company had a trading volume of 8,323,370 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123,697. The company has a market capitalization of $352.96 billion, a PE ratio of 21.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $157.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $156.28. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $143.13 and a 1-year high of $168.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 71.78%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on JNJ. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.73.

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.