Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Sold by Ardent Capital Management Inc.

Ardent Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 1.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 147,774 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,181 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises 10.6% of Ardent Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Ardent Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $24,507,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 51.8% during the 1st quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 252 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. von Borstel & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at about $49,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at about $52,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $171.41 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $412.81 billion, a PE ratio of 18.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.41. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $140.68 and a 52-week high of $172.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company's 50 day moving average is $158.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $157.27.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The company reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $23.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.85 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 25.00% and a return on equity of 32.49%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.82 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 26th will be given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 26th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is currently 55.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JNJ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $165.00 to $162.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $167.00 target price (up from $164.00) on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $181.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $174.50.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.

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