Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 1.3% Higher – Here’s Why

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was up 1.3% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $278.89 and last traded at $278.66. Approximately 5,684,489 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 30% from the average session volume of 8,162,441 shares. The stock had previously closed at $275.21.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $320 price target, implying roughly 15%–16% upside from recent levels. The target reflects expectations for stronger performance from J&J’s pharmaceutical pipeline. J&J Jumps as UBS Lifts Its Target to $320
• Positive Sentiment: Healthcare stocks advanced broadly, providing a favorable sector backdrop for JNJ as investors sought exposure to a relatively defensive industry. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Advance Wednesday Afternoon
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results remain supportive: J&J’s latest quarterly revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $25.31 billion, while adjusted earnings exceeded analyst expectations. The company has also targeted fiscal 2026 earnings of $11.60–$11.75 per share.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will participate in a Deutsche Bank Healthcare Summit fireside chat on September 17. The event could provide updates on the pipeline, guidance and capital allocation, but it does not immediately change fundamentals. Johnson & Johnson to Participate in the Deutsche Bank 2026 Healthcare Summit
• Neutral Sentiment: JNJ has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past year and is near its 52-week high, indicating strong investor momentum but also leaving less room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst lowered the fiscal 2026 EPS forecast, raising concerns that consensus expectations may be moving closer to management’s guidance rather than accelerating above it.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a key risk: after its strong rally, the stock may already price in faster growth than J&J has officially guided. Is Johnson & Johnson Stock Priced For More Growth Than It Has Guided?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor Stelara and other upcoming patent expirations, MedTech weakness and ongoing talc-related litigation, all of which could pressure future earnings and cash flow. J&J Faces Multiple Headwinds: Can the Healthcare Giant Sustain Growth?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group began coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $285.00 to $298.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Raymond James Financial set a $280.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $272.83.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.3%

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $260.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $244.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $671.54 billion, a PE ratio of 32.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The company had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is presently 62.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Jennifer Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at $51,210,615.36. This represents a 7.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total transaction of $5,792,778.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 63,972 shares of company stock valued at $16,245,605 in the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Outlook Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted 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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.