Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Cuts Position in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Resona Asset Management reduced its Johnson & Johnson stake by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 31,171 shares and leaving it with 834,973 shares worth about $172.9 million.
• Several analysts turned more constructive on J&J, with Leerink Partners upgrading the stock to Outperform and lifting its target to $265; the consensus view remains Moderate Buy with an average target price of about $253.04.
• Johnson & Johnson reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its dividend to $1.34 per share, while new oncology data and a stable defensive dividend profile continue to support the stock.

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 834,973 shares of the company's stock after selling 31,171 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson comprises about 0.8% of Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $172,887,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Plancorp LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Plancorp LLC now owns 15,889 shares of the company's stock worth $3,288,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 1,015 shares of the company's stock worth $210,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 3,600 shares of the company's stock worth $745,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Vista Investment Partners II LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vista Investment Partners II LLC now owns 3,811 shares of the company's stock worth $789,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Deegan Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Campbell Deegan Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,990 shares of the company's stock valued at $619,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on JNJ. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Leerink Partners raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $253.00 to $254.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $253.04.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners upgraded Johnson & Johnson to Outperform from Market Perform and raised its price target to $265, citing strong new-drug momentum and improved growth prospects. Article: Is Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) One of the Best “Dogs of the Dow” Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: J&J’s oncology pipeline received attention after the company presented encouraging early/Phase 2 data for JNJ-1900 (NBTXR3) in inoperable lung cancer, reinforcing the company’s cancer-treatment growth story. Article: Johnson & Johnson Lung Cancer Data Adds Dimension To Oncology Valuation Story
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted Johnson & Johnson as a strong dividend and “Dogs of the Dow” name, which supports the stock’s defensive appeal for income-focused investors. Article: Why Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Nanobiotix also said J&J presented Part 1 data from the CONVERGE study, adding more visibility to the company’s oncology collaboration, though the market impact appears limited so far. Article: Nanobiotix Reports Promising Phase 2 Data for NBTXR3 in Stage 3 Inoperable Lung Cancer
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the Medicare drug-price negotiation program, leaving intact a policy that could continue to pressure pricing for Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical business. Article: Supreme Court Rejects Drugmakers’ Challenge to Medicare Price Negotiation Program

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.9%

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $228.80 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. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $149.04 and a 12 month high of $251.71. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $234.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $222.31. The firm has a market cap of $550.76 billion, a PE ratio of 26.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.27.

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, beating 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 company had revenue of $24.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $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. Analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 26th. This is a positive change from Johnson & Johnson's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is presently 60.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total transaction of $5,527,477.59. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 26,769 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,540,469.77. This represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

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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