Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Stock: ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Boosts Holdings

Key Points

• ZWJ Investment Counsel increased its Johnson & Johnson stake by 3% in the third quarter to 231,462 shares valued at approximately $61.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 69.55% of JNJ.
• Johnson & Johnson reported quarterly earnings of $2.59 per share and revenue of $25.40 billion, slightly exceeding estimates, while revenue grew 5.9% year over year. The company reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $11.05–$11.15.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share, equivalent to an annualized $5.36 dividend and a 2.1% yield. Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $274.35, although MedTech weakness and valuation concerns remain risks.

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 3.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 231,462 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,670 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for approximately 1.7% of ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $61,277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company's stock worth $1,436,633,000 after acquiring an additional 69,108,368 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,967,399,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company's stock valued at $109,338,000 after acquiring an additional 4,454,778 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 127.3% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 6,060,922 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,539,292,000 after acquiring an additional 3,393,981 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 22,588,696 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,736,851,000 after acquiring an additional 2,513,321 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $253.68 on Friday. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $184.66 and a fifty-two week high of $281.07. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $265.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $249.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market cap of $611.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.21.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 31.54%. The company had revenue of $25.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total value of $3,950,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at $51,210,615.36. This trade represents a 7.16% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 87,569 shares of company stock valued at $23,064,544 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.59 per share and revenue of $25.40 billion, exceeding consensus estimates. Revenue increased 5.9% year over year, led by 7.9% growth in Innovative Medicine. J&J Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 sales and earnings outlook, with guidance of approximately $11.05–$11.15 in adjusted EPS. Executives also highlighted pipeline products and MedTech innovation as potential sources of future growth. JNJ Q3 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating, while RBC retained an “outperform” rating, indicating that analysts still see potential upside despite trimming their price targets. Technical analysts also identified support near $246. Morgan Stanley JNJ Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson plans an enterprise review on December 8 and is targeting a potential mid-2027 spinoff of its DePuy Synthes orthopedics business. These initiatives could clarify the company’s growth strategy but may also create execution and earnings-dilution concerns. J&J MedTech Orthopedics Spinoff
• Negative Sentiment: MedTech sales missed Wall Street expectations, with weakness attributed partly to China pricing pressure and European budget cuts. Investors viewed the device business as a key reason the stock fell sharply following earnings. Johnson & Johnson Stock Falls as MedTech Misses
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts lowered several price targets after the results, citing mixed pharmaceutical trends, acquisition costs, talc-related charges and potential 2027 dilution. The concerns are more significant because JNJ trades at a premium earnings multiple versus the broader market. Analysts Cut JNJ Forecasts

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $294.00 to $292.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Argus set a $300.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $274.35.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson NYSE: JNJ is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets products through two primary business segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Its operations serve patients, healthcare professionals and consumers in markets around the world.

The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on prescription medicines in areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, infectious diseases, and pulmonary hypertension.

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