Metis Global Partners LLC Decreases Stock Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Metis Global Partners LLC cut its Johnson & Johnson stake by 23.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 31,512 shares and ending with 104,121 shares valued at about $21.5 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 69.55% of J&J shares, even as some firms recently added to or trimmed their positions.
• J&J continues to show solid fundamentals and shareholder returns: it beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, raised its dividend to $1.34 per share, and maintained a modestly bullish analyst outlook with a “Moderate Buy” consensus.

Metis Global Partners LLC lessened its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 23.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 104,121 shares of the company's stock after selling 31,512 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson comprises about 0.5% of Metis Global Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Metis Global Partners LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $21,548,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 51,876 shares of the company's stock worth $7,502,000 after acquiring an additional 6,332 shares during the period. United Bank boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 110.7% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 9,279 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,539,000 after buying an additional 4,876 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 13.4% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,863 shares of the company's stock worth $896,000 after buying an additional 692 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 12.8% during the second quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 1,482 shares of the company's stock worth $226,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 73,680 shares of the company's stock worth $11,255,000 after buying an additional 6,584 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

More Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson is drawing bullish attention from commentators and market personalities, with Jim Cramer highlighting its “great new drug profits” and strong balance sheet, which reinforces the company’s defensive appeal and dividend reputation. Jim Cramer Applauds Johnson & Johnson’s “Great New Drug Profits, Triple-A Balance Sheet”
• Positive Sentiment: JNJ continues to strengthen its oncology pipeline after agreeing to buy Firefly Bio for $1 billion, a move aimed at expanding its KRAS-focused cancer treatment platform and supporting long-term growth. Johnson And Johnson Buys Firefly Bio To Deepen Oncology Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s CEO said a cure for certain cancers is a realistic goal, which underscores management’s confidence in J&J’s pipeline and may help investor sentiment around future drug innovation. Johnson & Johnson CEO Says Cure for Certain Cancers Is Realistic Goal
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson was also highlighted in articles calling it a durable “healthcare king” and a stock investors would buy again in a reset portfolio, reinforcing the view that it remains a high-quality defensive name. Got $1,000? 1 Healthcare King to Buy and Never Sell That Is Safer Than a Treasury Bond
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J also received a financing-related mention because its venture arm participated in a FesariusTherapeutics Series A round, a modest signal of ongoing innovation exposure but not a direct earnings driver. FesariusTherapeutics Closes Oversubscribed $20M Series A, Led by Jefferson Life Sciences, and Backed by NY Ventures, and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Negative Sentiment: Offsetting the optimism, a Los Angeles jury awarded $32 million in an asbestos-related talc case, renewing legal risk concerns that have long weighed on J&J shares. Johnson & Johnson Hit with $32 Million Verdict in Los Angeles Asbestos Trial

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on JNJ shares. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $253.00 to $254.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Argus raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $253.04.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $238.88 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $231.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $226.87. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $149.04 and a 12-month high of $251.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $575.04 billion, a PE ratio of 27.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 21.83%.The firm had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.60 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.77 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.57 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 26th were paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Johnson & Johnson's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 26th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.97%.

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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