Ancora Advisors LLC Sells 21,326 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Ancora Advisors reduced its Johnson & Johnson stake by 8.5%, selling 21,326 shares and retaining 229,968 shares valued at approximately $58.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 69.55% of JNJ.
• Johnson & Johnson exceeded quarterly expectations with $2.90 in adjusted EPS and $25.31 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 6.6% year over year. The company maintained FY2026 EPS guidance of $11.60–$11.75.
• JNJ announced a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share, equivalent to a 1.9% annualized yield, and analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $272.83. However, recent gains and ongoing insider selling raise valuation and near-term sentiment concerns.

Ancora Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 229,968 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,326 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 1.1% of Ancora Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Ancora Advisors LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $58,405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. State Street Corp raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 133,869,843 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,704,364,000 after buying an additional 1,663,782 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company's stock worth $1,436,633,000 after acquiring an additional 69,108,368 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 57,953,747 shares of the company's stock worth $11,967,947,000 after acquiring an additional 1,738,292 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at $6,924,523,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 25,832,777 shares of the company's stock worth $4,789,914,000 after purchasing an additional 956,239 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ opened at $275.12 on Monday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $261.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $245.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $663.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $173.33 and a 52-week high of $281.07.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. 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 currently 62.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $270.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Leerink Partners upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $265.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. HSBC set a $290.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Argus set a $300.00 price objective on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $272.83.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains supportive. JNJ received an upgrade that helped it reach a new 12-month high, while the broader analyst view is rated “Moderate Buy.” UBS also began coverage, potentially increasing institutional attention. Johnson & Johnson Reaches New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade Johnson & Johnson Receives Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson’s 64-year record of dividend growth remains a key support for income-oriented investors. Strong profitability and the company’s diversified healthcare portfolio help sustain the dividend despite competitive pressure on a major drug. Johnson & Johnson Is Boring Which Makes Its Dividend Nearly Perfect
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will discuss the business at the Deutsche Bank Healthcare Summit on September 17. The event could provide updates on pharmaceuticals, litigation and forward guidance, but it is not itself a change to earnings expectations. Johnson & Johnson to Participate in the Deutsche Bank 2026 Healthcare Summit
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and valuation risk are elevated after JNJ gained about 60% over the past year versus roughly 21% for the S&P 500. Analysts question whether the current price already discounts growth above management’s near-term outlook. Was JNJ Stock Rally Actually Its Own? Is Johnson & Johnson Stock Priced For More Growth Than It Has Guided?
• Negative Sentiment: An executive vice president sold 33,597 shares worth approximately $9.2 million, reducing his holdings by 56.9%. The sale may reinforce short-term concerns about insider conviction, although it does not change JNJ’s fundamentals. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst lowered the FY2026 EPS forecast, adding pressure to expectations. Talc litigation also remains unresolved despite a proposed path toward settlement, while the Louisiana verdict continues to focus attention on legal liability and potential costs. Johnson & Johnson dividend and competition analysis

Insider Activity

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $4,090,926.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total value of $3,950,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at $51,210,615.36. The trade was a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 97,569 shares of company stock worth $25,476,044. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source