Griffith & Werner Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Griffith & Werner Inc. reduced its Johnson & Johnson stake by 28.3% in Q1, selling 9,146 shares and leaving it with 23,154 shares valued at about $5.66 million.
• Johnson & Johnson’s recent news flow was mixed: analysts raised price targets and highlighted its dividend appeal and medtech pipeline, while an Illinois appellate court upheld a $45 million mesothelioma verdict tied to talc-related claims.
• The company reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.34 per share for a 2.1% annualized yield.

Griffith & Werner Inc. cut its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 28.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,154 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,146 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 2.8% of Griffith & Werner Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Griffith & Werner Inc.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $5,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Greenberg Financial Group acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $954,000. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 161,343 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,390,000 after acquiring an additional 26,450 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 95,662 shares of the company's stock worth $17,738,000 after acquiring an additional 8,533 shares during the period. Benchmark Financial LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $554,000. Finally, Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45,222 shares of the company's stock worth $9,359,000 after acquiring an additional 2,660 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson to $263 from $254, signaling continued support for the stock even as the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report on the price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson backed a new heart failure device trial, keeping investor focus on its medtech pipeline and longer-term growth opportunities in electrophysiology and cardiovascular care. JNJ Backs New Heart Failure Device Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to highlight JNJ as a strong dividend and defensive healthcare name, with several notes pointing to the company’s earnings consistency and attractive income profile. TipRanks dividend aristocrat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also looking ahead to J&J’s upcoming Q2 earnings report, with previews suggesting the company may again beat expectations, but the market is still waiting for actual results. Zacks Q2 earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: An Illinois appellate court affirmed a $45 million mesothelioma verdict against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue tied to talc-related asbestos allegations, renewing legal risk concerns that can weigh on the shares. Illinois Appellate Court Affirms $45 Million Mesothelioma Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE JNJ traded down $1.93 during trading on Friday, reaching $257.17. The stock had a trading volume of 6,533,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,252,110. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03. The company has a market cap of $619.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.73, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $154.80 and a fifty-two week high of $269.43. The business's 50-day moving average price is $237.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.05.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.02. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 32.60%. The business had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.77 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Johnson & Johnson's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is 61.97%.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the business's 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at $27,560,551.20. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Guggenheim upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Argus raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. HSBC set a $290.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $283.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.13.

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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