Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Up 1.6% – Time to Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) traded up 1.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $248.19 and last traded at $244.9320. Approximately 10,029,986 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 19% from the average daily volume of 8,431,539 shares. The stock had previously closed at $241.00.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are highlighting Johnson & Johnson as a top “dividend safety” pick, reinforcing its appeal as a reliable income stock for conservative portfolios. One Stock to Own For Ultimate Dividend Safety
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson is advancing its cardiac ablation technology in Europe with the rollout of the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF Platform, which supports growth in its MedTech business. Johnson & Johnson Advances Cardiac Ablation Technology in Europe with Availability of Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary ahead of second-quarter earnings is constructive, with expectations for another single-digit earnings increase. Johnson & Johnson Earnings Preview: What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: JNJ is also drawing attention as investors rotate out of higher-risk growth names and back into stable dividend stocks, helping support demand for the shares. Why Johnson & Johnson, Altria, Verizon, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional articles continue to frame Johnson & Johnson as a quality dividend aristocrat, which supports the stock’s defensive profile but does not add a new catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on oncology, rare disease, and medtech wins underscores improving fundamentals, but the market already appears to be viewing these as part of JNJ’s long-term story rather than a near-term surprise.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Leerink Partners upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $283.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $244.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Argus increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.04.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $230.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $228.94. The stock has a market cap of $589.61 billion, a PE ratio of 28.32, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.26.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $24.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.60 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 32.60%. Johnson & Johnson’s revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.450-11.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Johnson & Johnson’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Family CFO Inc purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% in 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 period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.