Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Stock: Willis Investment Counsel Cuts Position

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel cut its Johnson & Johnson position by 15.7% in the third quarter, selling 48,727 shares and retaining 260,759 shares worth approximately $69 million. J&J remains 3% of the firm’s portfolio and its fifth-largest holding.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 69.55%, while Wall Street maintains a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $275.92.
• J&J raised its 2026 outlook after quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations, and extended its dividend-growth streak to 64 consecutive years; shares recently traded at $257.64 with a 2.1% dividend yield.

Willis Investment Counsel decreased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 260,759 shares of the company's stock after selling 48,727 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises 3.0% of Willis Investment Counsel's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $69,033,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 12.5% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 22,588,696 shares of the company's stock worth $5,736,851,000 after purchasing an additional 2,513,321 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.5% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 15,661,323 shares of the company's stock worth $3,977,506,000 after purchasing an additional 1,225,676 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 17.5% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 13,406,820 shares of the company's stock worth $3,277,163,000 after purchasing an additional 2,001,139 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.9% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 7,872,478 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,924,323,000 after purchasing an additional 148,497 shares during the period. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,967,399,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $287.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $298.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $278.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.92.

Key Stories Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson raised its 2026 outlook, calling for approximately $101.2 billion in sales at the midpoint and adjusted earnings per share of $11.05–$11.15. Its latest quarter also modestly exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $2.59 versus the $2.53 consensus and revenue of $25.40 billion. Johnson & Johnson Drugs Lift Guidance, but Is 23 Times Earnings Fair?
• Positive Sentiment: The company extended its dividend-growth streak to 64 consecutive years, supporting its appeal to income-focused investors despite weaker reported earnings. Johnson & Johnson’s Profit Fell 96% Year-Over-Year
• Positive Sentiment: MedTech momentum includes the U.S. launch of the Shockwave C2 Aero Fly coronary IVL catheter, designed to reduce treatment time and strengthen J&J’s cardiovascular-device franchise. TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating with a $300 price target. Johnson & Johnson Launches Next-Generation Shockwave Catheter

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $257.64 on Thursday. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $184.66 and a one year high of $281.07. The company has a market cap of $620.90 billion, a PE ratio of 39.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $249.94.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $25.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.38 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 31.54%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Johnson & Johnson's payout ratio is 81.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 33,597 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.74, for a total value of $9,230,439.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,991,308.78. This represents a 56.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at $4,367,458. The trade was a 48.37% 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 64,515 shares of company stock valued at $17,271,766. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson NYSE: JNJ is a global healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Founded in 1886, the company develops and markets products and services for patients, healthcare professionals and institutions worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson operates through two principal segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Innovative Medicine focuses on pharmaceuticals for areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and cardiovascular conditions.

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