Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Down 0.6%

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) shares were down 0.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $145.35 and last traded at $145.90. Approximately 2,035,400 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 7,299,480 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.82.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $181.00 to $175.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $172.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Monday, April 15th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $175.86.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $154.80 and a 200-day moving average of $155.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $348.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.64 by $0.07. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 45.26% and a return on equity of 36.43%. The business had revenue of $21.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.68 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson's quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This is an increase from Johnson & Johnson's previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 20th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. Johnson & Johnson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.68%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 59,397 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.27, for a total transaction of $9,281,969.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 141,416 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,099,078.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, major shareholder & Johnson Johnson sold 3,725 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.81, for a total transaction of $96,142.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,099,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $105,810,030.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 59,397 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.27, for a total transaction of $9,281,969.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 141,416 shares in the company, valued at $22,099,078.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth $4,071,642,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Johnson & Johnson by 16.4% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 24,019,725 shares of the company's stock worth $3,764,852,000 after acquiring an additional 3,391,657 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 7,875.8% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,090,384 shares of the company's stock valued at $327,647,000 after acquiring an additional 2,064,175 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $193,050,000. Finally, Focused Investors Fund L P purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $193,996,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.