Conning Inc. Grows Holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Conning Inc. boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 7.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 229,267 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 15,180 shares during the period. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $33,157,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. IFS Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% in the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $154.22 on Tuesday. 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 has a 12-month low of $140.68 and a 12-month high of $168.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $371.31 billion, a PE ratio of 23.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $147.42 and its 200-day moving average is $156.08.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.35%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.29 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.22%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.59%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $159.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $181.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Finally, Argus raised Johnson & Johnson to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $170.67.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.