The Goldman Sachs Group Raises Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Price Target to $275.00

Key Points

• Goldman Sachs raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson to $275 (from $265) and maintained a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 15% upside
• J&J beat Q1 estimates (EPS $2.70 vs. $2.68; revenue $24.06B), raised FY2026 EPS guidance to 11.45–11.65 and increased the quarterly dividend to $1.34, supporting both the growth and income thesis.
• Investor caution remains: Q1 profit and free cash flow fell, Stelara sales declined amid biosimilar risk, and insiders sold roughly 30,142 shares last quarter, contributing to a mixed market reaction.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $265.00 to $275.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.05% from the stock's current price.

JNJ has been the subject of a number of other research reports. HSBC upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $247.48.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ opened at $239.03 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $575.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.67, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $146.12 and a 12-month high of $251.71. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $241.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $216.38.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $24.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,598,700.17. This trade represents a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 1,322 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.66, for a total value of $324,762.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,251,310.02. The trade was a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% in the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 149 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company's stock.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance lift — J&J reported $2.70 EPS vs. ~$2.68 expected and $24.06B revenue, then raised FY2026 sales and EPS outlook, which supports higher multiple and investor confidence. Johnson & Johnson Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raise reinforces income thesis — Board increased the quarterly payout to $1.34 (64th consecutive annual increase), supporting yield-oriented investors and reducing downside volatility. Business Wire: Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial drivers: oncology and new therapies — Strong sales from Darzalex, Tremfya and Spravato (notable QoQ and YoY growth) underpin the raised outlook and signal sustainable growth beyond legacy products. Yahoo Finance: Raises 2026 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and sentiment — Some bullish takes argue upside (e.g., a MarketBeat piece saying a ~20% gain looks achievable), while others caution valuation vs. growth peers; watch analyst revisions post‑call. MarketBeat: 20% Gain Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/broker notes highlight sector implications — J&J’s results are being read as a signal for healthcare ETFs and psychedelics peers (Spravato strength), which may amplify flows into/away from JNJ depending on broader sector moves. ETF Trends: Sector Implications
• Negative Sentiment: Profit decline, cash‑flow and margin pressure — Despite top‑line beats, Q1 profit fell and free cash flow reportedly declined, which raises near‑term margin and cash concerns. RTTNews: Profit Down
• Negative Sentiment: Stelara decline & biosimilar risk — A steep drop in Stelara sales and ongoing biosimilar competition for legacy drugs remain a headwind and a source of uncertainty for sustaining past revenue levels. Reuters: Stelara Sales Disappoint
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed market reaction — Some coverage notes the stock initially slipped despite the beat, reflecting investor focus on margins, modest guidance details versus expectations and rotation within the sector. Investors Business Daily: Early Slip

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.