Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Up 2.1% – Still a Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) traded up 2.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $271.91 and last traded at $271.53. 5,948,628 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 27% from the average session volume of 8,178,312 shares. The stock had previously closed at $265.85.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson renewed its decades-long dividend-raising streak, reinforcing its appeal to income-oriented investors. Recent coverage also highlights JNJ’s history of maintaining dividend growth through recessions, which supports the stock’s defensive reputation. Why Procter & Gamble’s Quieter Dividend Outpaces Johnson & Johnson’s Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson’s portfolio of stakes in biotechnology and medical-technology companies provides potential longer-term value, with one investment standing out as the largest and most valuable holding. Johnson & Johnson Owns Stakes in 15 Stocks. Here’s the Best of the Bunch.
• Neutral Sentiment: JNJ scheduled its third-quarter results conference call for October 13, giving investors a defined upcoming catalyst. Management will discuss results and answer questions, but the announcement contained no new financial guidance. Johnson & Johnson to Host Investor Conference Call on Third-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank trimmed its 2026 earnings-per-share forecast to $11.65 from $11.68. The reduction is minor and remains above the broader consensus estimate of $11.61, but it signals limited near-term earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage comparing JNJ with Procter & Gamble cautions that an upcoming corporate event could complicate Johnson & Johnson’s otherwise impressive dividend-growth story. That creates some uncertainty for investors who prioritize uninterrupted payout growth.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JNJ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research 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. Bank of America upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Argus set a $300.00 price objective on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.22.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 2.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $259.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $244.17. The company has a market cap of $654.36 billion, a PE ratio of 31.46, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $4,090,926.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,367,458. The trade was a 48.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total transaction of $3,950,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,210,615.36. The trade was a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 63,972 shares of company stock worth $16,245,605 in the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Outlook Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter worth $28,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during 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. Finally, Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% during the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.