Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 0.2% Higher Following Dividend Announcement

Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shot up 0.2% on Thursday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $145.77 and last traded at $144.86. 1,190,817 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 7,169,257 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.62.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.43%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on JNJ shares. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com raised Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.73.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $152.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $156.23. The company has a market capitalization of $348.24 billion, a PE ratio of 20.93, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. Analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter valued at $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.