Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Shares Bought by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 360,134 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 28,043 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 3.2% of Willis Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $55,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of JNJ. W.H. Cornerstone Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. W.H. Cornerstone Investments Inc. now owns 7,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,206,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 3.1% during the second quarter. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $309,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the second quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 8,559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,307,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Cypress Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,013,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 11.2% in the 2nd quarter. Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN now owns 636 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE:JNJ opened at $203.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market cap of $489.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.38. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $140.68 and a 12 month high of $204.51. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $187.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $171.22.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 30th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $24.02 billion during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 27.26% and a return on equity of 32.73%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $190.00 to $214.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Johnson Rice set a $190.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $190.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 56,471 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.81, for a total value of $10,041,108.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 178,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,652,491.53. The trade was a 24.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.