Citigroup Increases Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Price Target to $274.00

Key Points

• Citigroup raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson to $274.00 (from $250) and maintained a "buy" rating, implying about a 12.94% upside from the prior close.
• Recent regulatory wins — notably the FDA approval of TECVAYLI plus DARZALEX FASPRO and an EU label expansion for Akeega — strengthen J&J’s oncology growth prospects and have prompted analysts to re‑assess valuation.
• Shares traded around $242.62 midday versus a MarketBeat consensus target of $235.91, but insider selling (30,142 shares in 90 days) and a ~20.8% jump in short interest to ~25.1M shares add potential downside volatility.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by stock analysts at Citigroup from $250.00 to $274.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Citigroup's price target suggests a potential upside of 12.94% from the company's previous close.

JNJ has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $222.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $235.91.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ traded down $1.09 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $242.62. 2,294,294 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,091,041. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $141.50 and a one year high of $251.71. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $229.80 and a 200 day moving average of $205.27. The company has a market cap of $584.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The business had revenue of $24.28 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. The trade was a 21.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 1,322 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.66, for a total value of $324,762.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,251,310.02. This represents a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 632.0% in the third quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 89,183 shares of the company's stock worth $16,536,000 after purchasing an additional 77,000 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.2% during the third quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 130,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $24,278,000 after buying an additional 2,769 shares during the period. Guinness Asset Management LTD raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.4% in the third quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 1,383,195 shares of the company's stock valued at $251,216,000 after acquiring an additional 5,994 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 1,234,945 shares of the company's stock worth $188,638,000 after acquiring an additional 94,957 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 4,926,569 shares of the company's stock valued at $913,484,000 after purchasing an additional 151,707 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves TECVAYLI (teclistamab) plus DARZALEX FASPRO for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — approval is based on Phase 3 data showing improved PFS and OS versus standard regimens, strengthening J&J’s oncology immunotherapy presence and potentially expanding high-margin sales in a large hematology market. How FDA Approval of TECVAYLI and DARZALEX FASPRO Combo At Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: EU expands label for Akeega to BRCA‑mutated metastatic hormone‑sensitive prostate cancer — another regulatory win that broadens the drug’s addressable market and supports J&J’s oncology growth narrative. JNJ Gets EU Nod for Expanded Use of Akeega in Prostate Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Featured as one of “The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats” — coverage highlighting J&J’s defensive dividend profile can attract income-focused buyers and support valuation floor during broader market volatility. Hope for the Best and Plan for the Worst: The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets re‑assessing J&J’s valuation after recent share moves — renewed investor interest can fuel further momentum if upcoming quarters confirm stronger growth from new approvals. Assessing Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Valuation As Recent Share Moves Revive Investor Interest
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at Barclays Healthcare Conference — transcript may provide incremental color on pipeline and margins but contained no headline surprises; useful for monitoring guidance and R&D cadence. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Presents at Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor activity in women’s health (Hologic) noted — keeps an eye on device-market share dynamics but not an immediate J&J earnings driver. What Drives Hologic's GYN Surgical Strength in a Competitive Market?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~20.8% in late February (to ~25.1M shares) — rising bearish positions can amplify downward moves and increase volatility, contributing to today’s selling pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Two J&J units to pay $65M to settle a Tracleer antitrust class action — small relative to J&J’s scale, but legal/settlement headlines add to near‑term negative newsflow. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Units to Pay $65 Million in Tracleer Antitrust Class Action Settlement, Reuters Reports

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world.

The company's pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience.

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