Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its J&J target to $267 and kept an "overweight" rating, implying about an 11.4% upside, while consensus from analysts is a "Moderate Buy" with a $238.17 average price target.
• JNJ traded around $239.69 with a market cap of $577.3B and a PE of 21.69; the company reported $2.46 EPS on $24.28B revenue for the quarter and analysts project about $10.58 EPS for the year.
• The stock has near‑term positives—CE‑mark launch of the VARIPULSE Pro device and a >60‑year dividend streak—but faces headwinds from recent insider selling and ongoing litigation, biosimilar and pricing pressures that could pressure results.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from $262.00 to $267.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective points to a potential upside of 11.39% from the stock's current price.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $274.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $238.17.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE JNJ traded down $1.62 on Friday, reaching $239.69. The company had a trading volume of 1,829,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,581,457. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $577.33 billion, a PE ratio of 21.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.34. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $241.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $214.54. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $146.12 and a 12 month high of $251.71.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $24.28 billion for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. The trade was a 21.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 26,769 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,540,469.77. This represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 30,142 shares of company stock valued at $7,360,528. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 51,876 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,502,000 after buying an additional 6,332 shares during the period. United Bank boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 110.7% in 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 period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 13.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,863 shares of the company's stock valued at $896,000 after buying an additional 692 shares during the period. Wealth Group Ltd. boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 1,482 shares of the company's stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 73,680 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,255,000 after buying an additional 6,584 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and bullish notes have supported upside expectations for JNJ, with recent coverage lifting targets and signaling confidence in the company's recovery and pipeline execution. Johnson & Johnson NYSE: JNJ Shares Up 1.1% on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: MedTech catalyst: J&J launched its VARIPULSE Pro pulsed field ablation system in Europe (CE Mark), adding a device growth opportunity and upcoming real‑world evidence that could support MedTech revenue momentum. Johnson & Johnson PFA Launch Puts VARIPULSE Pro And Valuation In Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend profile remains a steady long‑term positive for income investors — J&J's >60‑year streak of dividend increases keeps it on buy-and-hold lists despite near‑term noise. Could Buying This Dividend Pharma Stock Today Set You Up for Life?
• Neutral Sentiment: Fair value shift is marginal — one note nudged its fair value estimate from $241.08 to $241.71, indicating analysts see only modest upside from current levels; investors are parsing whether upgraded targets reflect durable change or near‑term optimism. How The Narrative On Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Is Shifting With New Targets And Litigation Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and consensus estimates are front‑and‑center ahead of Q1; Wall Street projections show drug growth and MedTech momentum but also flag headwinds — these previews set the stage for a reaction to actual Q1 results. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold JNJ Stock Ahead of Q1 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Profit‑taking / valuation concern: a Seeking Alpha preview argues the recent rally may be overbought and suggests selling into strength, which can pressure the stock amid mixed signals. Johnson and Johnson Q1 Earnings Preview: Time To Sell The Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and litigation risks remain material — coverage highlights ongoing legal exposure and rising biosimilar/pricing pressure on key drugs, factors that could dent near‑term results and margins. How The Narrative On Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Is Shifting With New Targets And Litigation Risks

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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