Encore Global Management LP Purchases Shares of 18,000 Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Encore Global Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 18,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,400,000. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 3.1% of Encore Global Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of JNJ. Smith Group Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.0% during the first quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 150,121 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,696,000 after acquiring an additional 11,139 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 80,292 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,626,000 after purchasing an additional 11,789 shares during the period. Opal Capital LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Opal Capital LLC now owns 44,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,804,000 after purchasing an additional 987 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 13,406,820 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,277,163,000 after purchasing an additional 2,001,139 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.4% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 22,523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,505,000 after purchasing an additional 7,448 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:JNJ opened at $266.76 on Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $164.23 and a 12 month high of $274.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $642.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.91, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.24. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $244.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $237.40.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.11%.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Talc settlement removes a major overhang. J&J proposed paying up to $5.5 billion to resolve approximately 76,000 remaining U.S. lawsuits alleging that its talc products caused ovarian cancer. Investors appear to view the agreement as reducing years of legal uncertainty and improving visibility into future liabilities. The deal requires participation by at least 95% of claimants, with payments expected to begin in 2027, so final resolution is not yet guaranteed. Reuters talc settlement article
• Positive Sentiment: J&J delivered strong second-quarter results and raised its outlook. Revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $25.31 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted earnings per share of $2.90 topped the consensus estimate. Full-year 2026 guidance was set at $11.60–$11.75 per share, supporting confidence in the company’s operating performance. Yahoo Finance earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reiterated Buy ratings following the settlement news, with price targets remaining above the recent trading level. One analyst said progress on the talc resolution removes a significant valuation discount. TipRanks Goldman Sachs rating article
• Neutral Sentiment: Settlement terms still carry execution risk. The proposal involves a substantial cash commitment and could leave future lawsuits unaffected. Its effectiveness depends on claimant participation and court-related processes. CNN settlement article
• Negative Sentiment: MedTech growth was comparatively softer. Cardiovascular performance lagged in the second quarter, although stronger Vision, Surgery and Orthopedics results and new product launches may support improvement in the second half. Zacks MedTech article
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sale is a minor sentiment headwind. EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares worth approximately $5.8 million, reducing her direct position by about half. SEC insider transaction filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $258.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total value of $5,792,778.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total transaction of $2,411,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.