Freestone Grove Partners LP Sells 37,143 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Freestone Grove Partners reduced its Johnson & Johnson stake by 6.7%, selling 37,143 shares and retaining 517,230 shares valued at approximately $131.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 69.55% of JNJ.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with JNJ receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $272.83; individual targets range as high as $320.
• Johnson & Johnson reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $2.90 and revenue of $25.31 billion, both above expectations, and maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share. However, valuation concerns, insider selling and ongoing talc litigation remain risks.

Freestone Grove Partners LP lowered its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 6.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 517,230 shares of the company's stock after selling 37,143 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson makes up 0.8% of Freestone Grove Partners LP's holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Freestone Grove Partners LP's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $131,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Elefante Mark B boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Elefante Mark B now owns 28,686 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,285,000 after buying an additional 2,563 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 161,343 shares of the company's stock worth $33,390,000 after buying an additional 26,450 shares in the last quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 76.1% during the first quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 15,126 shares of the company's stock worth $3,697,000 after buying an additional 6,539 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 9.9% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 152,831 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,815,000 after acquiring an additional 13,737 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth approximately $30,017,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $285.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $282.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, July 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $272.83.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.0%

JNJ stock opened at $275.12 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $663.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.88, a PEG ratio of 2.63 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 has a twelve month low of $173.33 and a twelve month high of $281.07. The company's 50 day moving average is $261.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $245.08.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, 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 value of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,367,458. The trade was a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $5,792,778.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,779,963.81. The trade was a 50.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 97,569 shares of company stock valued at $25,476,044. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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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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