Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Shares Sold by American Trust

American Trust lessened its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 14.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,784 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,827 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises approximately 0.6% of American Trust's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. American Trust's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $7,036,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% in the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Family CFO Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 149 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total transaction of $2,411,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE:JNJ opened at $257.82 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $237.62 and a 200-day moving average of $233.60. The firm has a market capitalization 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. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $154.80 and a 52 week 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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 last year, the company earned $2.77 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Leerink Partners upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, HSBC set a $290.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $261.26.

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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