Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Raises Stock Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Arete Wealth Advisors increased its Johnson & Johnson position by 17.2% in the first quarter, owning 80,292 shares worth approximately $19.6 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 69.55% of J&J’s stock.
• J&J reported quarterly revenue of $25.31 billion and adjusted earnings of $2.90 per share, beating analyst estimates, while revenue rose 6.6% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share, equivalent to a 2.1% yield.
• Growth prospects remain balanced against financial risks: product and biotech expansion, including the Firefly Bio acquisition and Sail Biomedicines partnership, support the long-term pipeline, but contributed to a lower 2026 profit forecast. The proposed $5.5 billion talc settlement remains another significant liability.

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 17.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 80,292 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,789 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for about 1.2% of Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $19,626,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Blueline Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% in the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, Family CFO Inc bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and product expansion support long-term growth. J&J received FDA clearance for its surgical robot and is targeting $100 billion in revenue. The company also raised its dividend for the 64th consecutive year, reinforcing its appeal to income-oriented investors. FDA clearance, dividend and revenue article
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology and immunology efforts gained momentum. J&J completed its $1 billion acquisition of Firefly Bio, adding a degrader antibody-conjugate platform, and formed a Sail Biomedicines partnership focused on in-vivo CAR-T therapies. The agreement includes $785 million in initial payments and an option to acquire Sail for $2.58 billion. J&J biotech deals article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Argus Research initiated coverage with a Buy rating, while Erste Group raised its 2026 EPS estimate to $11.68 from $11.56. Recent analyst targets remain broadly above the current trading range. Argus Buy rating article
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory progress could expand the pharmaceutical franchise. The FDA granted Priority Review to subcutaneous RYBREVANT FASPRO for advanced head and neck cancer. The treatment produced a 42% overall response rate in clinical data, but approval and commercial uptake remain uncertain. RYBREVANT FASPRO Priority Review article
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term earnings face pressure from strategic spending. J&J lowered its 2026 profit forecast, citing the Firefly acquisition and Sail collaboration. The upfront cash commitments may weigh on earnings and raise questions about the return on those investments. Reuters profit forecast article
• Negative Sentiment: The proposed talc settlement remains a major financial liability. J&J would commit $5.5 billion to resolve approximately 76,000 ovarian-cancer claims, subject to at least 95% claimant participation. Investors appear to be shifting attention from reduced legal uncertainty to the size and execution risk of the cash obligation. Talc settlement article

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE JNJ opened at $255.84 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $245.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.18. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $164.23 and a 52 week high of $274.90. The stock has a market cap of $616.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The company had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.69 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is 62.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on JNJ shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $282.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Leerink Partners upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $265.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $251.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $266.39.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at $27,560,551.20. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $5,779,963.81. The trade was a 50.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson 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.

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