Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts broadly favor Johnson & Johnson: Twenty-five brokerages give the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 18 buys, six holds and one strong buy. The average 12-month price target is approximately $272.83, though recent targets range as high as $300.
• Recent results exceeded expectations: Quarterly earnings reached $2.90 per share versus the $2.84 consensus, while revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $25.31 billion. J&J also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share, or $5.36 annually, yielding about 1.9%.
• Risks remain despite strong momentum: Insiders sold nearly $16.25 million of stock over the past 90 days, while analysts cite Stelara and other patent expirations, MedTech weakness and talc litigation. The shares are trading near their 52-week high, increasing the potential for disappointment if growth slows.

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $272.8261.

JNJ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. HSBC set a $290.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Argus set a $300.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total transaction of $5,792,778.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,367,458. The trade was a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 63,972 shares of company stock valued at $16,245,605 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 161,343 shares of the company's stock worth $33,390,000 after purchasing an additional 26,450 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,410,177 shares of the company's stock valued at $705,736,000 after buying an additional 28,370 shares during the period. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 76.1% in the 1st quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 15,126 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,697,000 after buying an additional 6,539 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 1st quarter worth about $30,017,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 9.9% during the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 152,831 shares of the company's stock worth $38,815,000 after acquiring an additional 13,737 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of JNJ opened at $278.66 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $261.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $173.33 and a twelve month high of $281.07. The stock has a market cap of $671.54 billion, a PE ratio of 32.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The company had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is presently 62.11%.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $320 price target, implying roughly 15%–16% upside from recent levels. The target reflects greater confidence in J&J’s pharmaceutical pipeline and potential for stronger growth. J&J Jumps as UBS Lifts Its Target to $320
• Positive Sentiment: Recent business momentum remains constructive: J&J’s latest quarterly revenue increased 6.6% year over year, while earnings and revenue exceeded analyst expectations. A separate analysis noted that new products have more than offset sales lost from older medicines, supporting the company’s growth narrative. Johnson & Johnson Replaced Lost Sales With New Ones
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J will participate in the Deutsche Bank 2026 Healthcare Summit on September 17. The presentation could provide updates on the pipeline, growth strategy and financial outlook, but the announcement itself does not change fundamentals. Johnson & Johnson to Participate in the Deutsche Bank Healthcare Summit
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst lowered the FY2026 EPS forecast, creating a modest headwind against the bullish analyst target and suggesting expectations for near-term earnings growth may be moderating.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Stelara and upcoming drug patent expirations, weakness in MedTech and ongoing talc litigation as risks. The stock’s approximately 56% 12-month gain and valuation near its 52-week high leave less room for disappointment, particularly because the current price may already anticipate growth above management’s guidance. J&J Faces Multiple Headwinds Does J&J Talc Verdict Add to Legal Risk?

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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