Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Up 0% – Still a Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was up 0% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $146.05 and last traded at $144.79. Approximately 1,549,967 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 7,626,000 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.75.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on JNJ. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Guggenheim increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $349.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $149.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $156.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The business had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.66 EPS. Johnson & Johnson’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.42%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IFS Advisors LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% during the 3rd 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. Finally, Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.