Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Has $114.65 Million Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management boosted its Johnson & Johnson stake by 75.3% in the first quarter, ending with 469,028 shares worth about $114.65 million.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on J&J, with 20 Buy ratings and 7 Hold ratings and a consensus Moderate Buy rating. The stock’s average price target stands at $261.26.
• Johnson & Johnson recently reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, while its stock was trading near $257.82 and close to its 52-week high.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 75.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 469,028 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 201,519 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 1.6% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $114,649,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Squared Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the first quarter worth $212,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 4.0% in the first quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 206,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,550,000 after acquiring an additional 7,966 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 69.0% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,969,767 shares of the company's stock worth $481,490,000 after purchasing an additional 804,298 shares during the period. Sovran Advisors LLC increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 26.6% in the first quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 11,697 shares of the company's stock worth $2,689,000 after purchasing an additional 2,458 shares during the period. Finally, Signature Resources Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC now owns 331 shares of the company's stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $251.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $283.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Johnson Rice set a $270.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $261.26.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $257.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $620.64 billion, a PE ratio of 29.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $237.62 and a 200-day moving average of $233.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $154.80 and a one year high of $269.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 32.60%. Johnson & Johnson's quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) to $287 from $265 and kept an outperform rating, implying additional upside as investors look ahead to earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Several market watchers highlighted JNJ as a potential buy before earnings, pointing to its strong year-to-date move, recent all-time highs, and the appeal of its dividend as capital rotates into healthcare names. The Real Case for Buying Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Before July 15
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and stock commentary remain focused on JNJ’s upcoming quarterly results, with expectations centered on continued operational strength despite patent and competitive headwinds. Zacks: Is JNJ Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q2 Earnings Release?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market weakness weighed on Wall Street Monday, which could limit gains even for defensive names like JNJ. NASDAQ Snaps 3-Day Winning Streak as Oil Jumps Amid US-Iran Tensions
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings previews from Zacks, TipRanks, and Barron’s kept Johnson & Johnson in focus, but these pieces were mainly commentary ahead of the report rather than new company-specific catalysts. Zacks: Is Johnson & Johnson Stock Poised for New Highs as Q2 Results Approach?

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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