Smith Group Asset Management LLC Purchases 9,575 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Key Points

• Smith Group Asset Management increased its Johnson & Johnson stake by 6.4% in the second quarter, purchasing 9,575 shares and bringing its total holdings to 159,696 shares worth approximately $40.6 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with JNJ carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $268.22; recent quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded expectations, while full-year 2026 EPS guidance remained $11.60–$11.75.
• Johnson & Johnson’s shares opened at $270.69, near their 52-week high, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.34 per share, representing a 2.0% annualized yield. Recent insider activity was predominantly selling, with executives disposing of 63,972 shares over the past three months.

Smith Group Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Free Report) by 6.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 159,696 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,575 shares during the period. Smith Group Asset Management LLC's holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $40,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company's stock worth $1,436,633,000 after purchasing an additional 69,108,368 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $2,005,942,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company's stock worth $109,338,000 after acquiring an additional 4,454,778 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 240,349,660 shares of the company's stock worth $49,740,362,000 after acquiring an additional 3,731,074 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JNJ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $285.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $268.22.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted 510(k) clearance for the MONARCH QUEST 3 robotic bronchoscopy update. The system adds artificial-intelligence-powered planning, navigation and imaging capabilities, strengthening J&J’s position in the expanding robotic-assisted medical-procedure market. Johnson & Johnson Wins FDA 510(k) Clearance for MONARCH QUEST 3 Update
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved TECVAYLI combined with daratumumab for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The decision was supported by Phase 3 results showing statistically significant progression-free and overall-survival improvements versus standard treatments, potentially expanding sales of J&J’s oncology portfolio. European Commission approves Johnson & Johnson’s TECVAYLI plus daratumumab
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to favor J&J as a dividend-focused healthcare investment, citing its diversified operations and pipeline strength. Recent quarterly results also showed adjusted earnings and revenue ahead of consensus, with revenue up 6.6% year over year and full-year 2026 earnings guidance maintained at $11.60–$11.75 per share. Merck vs. J&J: Which Healthcare Giant Should Investors Choose?
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J’s potential interest in Seaport Therapeutics highlights continued investor focus on neuroscience and business-development opportunities, but no transaction has been announced. Why Bristol Myers, Johnson & Johnson and More Are Watching Seaport After IPO
• Negative Sentiment: Patent-protection losses remain a longer-term risk for several established drugs, although new medicines and recent approvals could help offset declining legacy-product sales. Johnson & Johnson Just Sent Shareholders an Important Message About Its Future

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total value of $3,950,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 194,451 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,210,615.36. This represents a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total transaction of $5,792,778.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 63,972 shares of company stock valued at $16,245,605 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $270.69 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $173.33 and a twelve month high of $276.47. The company's 50-day moving average price is $255.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $242.72. The company has a market cap of $652.34 billion, a PE ratio of 31.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.11%.

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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