Gabelli Funds LLC Sells 34,135 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 17.4%, selling 34,135 shares in the quarter and retaining 161,750 shares valued at about $29.99 million.
• Company insiders have been selling recently—EVPs Vanessa Broadhurst and Timothy Schmid sold a combined ~28,820 shares at roughly $243–$244, and insiders sold 30,142 shares worth ~$7.36 million over the last quarter, leaving insiders with 0.16% ownership.
• FDA approval of TECVAYLI® plus DARZALEX FASPRO® for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma is a major catalyst that expands J&J’s oncology commercial opportunity and has lifted market sentiment.

Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 17.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 161,750 shares of the company's stock after selling 34,135 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $29,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 707.1% during the 3rd quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 226 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This represents a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total transaction of $5,527,477.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 26,769 shares in the company, valued at $6,540,469.77. This trade represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on JNJ shares. Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $201.00 to $232.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Freedom Capital lowered Johnson & Johnson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Argus increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $234.87.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $240.57 on Friday. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $141.50 and a one year high of $251.71. The company has a market cap of $579.75 billion, a PE ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $228.36 and a 200-day moving average of $204.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $24.28 billion for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 33.04% and a net margin of 28.46%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is presently 47.06%.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval of TECVAYLI® plus DARZALEX FASPRO® for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — approval was based on strong Phase 3 results showing significant improvements in progression‑free and overall survival, and J&J positions the combo as a potential new standard of care as early as second line. This materially expands the company’s oncology commercial opportunity and is the main catalyst lifting sentiment. PR Newswire: J&J FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in dividend lists / dividend‑aristocrat coverage — recent articles cite JNJ among Dividend Kings/Aristocrats, reinforcing its appeal to income and defensive investors given decades of payout growth. That supports demand from dividend‑focused funds and conservative investors. 24/7 Wall St.: Dividend Kings
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $225 to $250 but kept a "neutral" rating — the PT lift signals modest analyst upside recognition of recent catalysts, though the unchanged rating tempers near‑term conviction. Benzinga: JPMorgan price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Direct‑to‑consumer website launch — J&J rolled out a site to sell certain drugs directly to U.S. patients who are uninsured or pay out‑of‑pocket; potential to improve access and margin over time, but impact on revenue is unclear near term. Reuters: direct-to-consumer site
• Negative Sentiment: $65 million Tracleer antitrust settlement — two J&J units agreed to pay $65M to resolve a class action alleging overcharges for the pulmonary hypertension drug; materiality is modest relative to J&J’s scale but it is a headline legal expense. Reuters: Tracleer settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price volatility / recent pullback — a few market reports noted a day‑over‑day decline ahead of the approval news; investors should be prepared for swings as the market digests launch timing, uptake and reimbursement dynamics. Zacks: recent decline

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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