Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts remain bullish on Johnson & Johnson, with 20 buy ratings and 7 hold ratings across 27 firms, giving the stock an average “Moderate Buy” consensus. The average 12-month price target is about $253.04.
• J&J recently reported better-than-expected Q1 results, with EPS of $2.70 and revenue of $24.06 billion, while also lifting its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to $11.45–$11.65. The company’s quarterly revenue rose 9.9% from a year earlier.
• The company also raised its dividend to $1.34 per share quarterly, up from $1.30, implying an annualized payout of $5.36 and a yield of about 2.3%. However, talc litigation and potential drug-pricing pressure remain key risks for investors.

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $253.0435.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. HSBC boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Argus boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: J&J’s DePuy Synthes unit announced an exclusive distribution agreement for the NOVOSIS bone graft substitute in the U.S., Canada and Australia, expanding its orthopedic portfolio and supporting MedTech growth. DePuy Synthes secures exclusive NOVOSIS bone graft distribution partnership (JNJ)
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish articles highlighted J&J as a large-cap pharma stock to own as the industry shows signs of recovery, reinforcing investor confidence in its diversified pharma and MedTech mix. 4 Large-Cap Pharma Stocks to Buy as Industry Recovery Accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also pointed to J&J’s strong dividend profile and “Dividend King” status, with the company’s long record of dividend growth supporting its appeal to income investors. Why Johnson & Johnson Might Be the Smartest Dividend King to Buy in Today's Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary noted healthcare stocks were a drag on the broader market, which can weigh on J&J even when company-specific news is constructive. Dow Gives Back Early Gains. Healthcare Stocks Are a Drag.
• Negative Sentiment: Fresh talc-litigation headlines remain a key overhang, including a Minnesota jury’s $10.2 million mesothelioma verdict tied to asbestos-contaminated cosmetic talc products. Assessing Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Valuation After Guidance Raise Growth Initiatives And Talc Litigation Update
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns about potential drug-pricing pressure under President Trump could also limit pharma profit expectations, adding policy risk for J&J’s drug business. President Trump's Drug Pricing Policies Could Hurt Drugmakers' Profits. Time to Sell Pharma Stocks?

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ stock opened at $230.37 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $233.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $224.19. The stock has a market cap of $554.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.63, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.27. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $149.04 and a fifty-two week high of $251.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.77 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a $1.34 dividend. This is an increase 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%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 26th. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.12%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 632.0% in the third quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 89,183 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,536,000 after purchasing an additional 77,000 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 2.2% in the third quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 130,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $24,278,000 after purchasing an additional 2,769 shares during the last quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 0.4% in the third quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 1,383,195 shares of the company's stock valued at $251,216,000 after purchasing an additional 5,994 shares during the last quarter. Greenberg Financial Group acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at $954,000. Finally, National Pension Service grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 3.2% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 4,926,569 shares of the company's stock valued at $913,484,000 after purchasing an additional 151,707 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company 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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