Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Has $18 Million Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Arete Wealth Advisors reduced its Johnson & Johnson position by 11.7% in the second quarter, selling 9,405 shares and retaining 70,887 shares valued at approximately $18 million. Institutional investors collectively own 69.55% of J&J.
• J&J reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.90 and revenue of $25.31 billion, while revenue increased 6.6% year over year. The company reaffirmed 2026 EPS guidance of $11.60–$11.75 and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.34, yielding about 1.9% annually.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $272.83, but valuation and legal risks remain. The stock has risen sharply over the past year, insiders have sold shares, and talc litigation continues to weigh on the outlook.

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 11.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 70,887 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,405 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises 0.8% of Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $18,003,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,436,633,000 after purchasing an additional 69,108,368 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,005,942,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company's stock valued at $109,338,000 after purchasing an additional 4,454,778 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 41.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,423,886 shares of the company's stock worth $2,571,124,000 after purchasing an additional 3,655,754 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 97,569 shares of company stock valued at $25,476,044 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ opened at $275.12 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $261.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $245.07. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $173.33 and a twelve month high of $281.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $663.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.88, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The firm's revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Equities analysts expect 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on JNJ. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 target price on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $272.83.

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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