Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Freedom Capital

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was upgraded by analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Argus increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 target price on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday. Johnson Rice raised Johnson & Johnson from an “outperform” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $258.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.30.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 1.2%

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $252.93 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $608.86 billion, a PE ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $239.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $234.63. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $162.78 and a twelve month high of $269.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.86%. The company’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,560,551.20. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Sierra Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Sierra Capital LLC now owns 8,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,685,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,422 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Ballast Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.2% during the first quarter. Ballast Advisors LLC now owns 3,598 shares of the company’s stock valued at $879,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Broadleaf Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Broadleaf Partners LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,521,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Jessup Wealth Management Inc now owns 7,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson beat Q2 earnings and revenue estimates, showing solid demand and execution in its core business. J&J Stock Falls Despite Strong Q2 Beat & Higher 2026 View: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 guidance after the report, reinforcing confidence in its growth outlook and pipeline momentum. Johnson & Johnson Raises 2026 Outlook After Q2 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $270 price target, signaling continued analyst confidence. Benzinga article on Guggenheim rating reaffirmation
• Positive Sentiment: Some market commentary suggests the post-earnings pullback could be an opportunity to buy JNJ on strength after a run to 52-week highs. Why Johnson and Johnson’s Earnings Dip Looks Like a Buying Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also digesting the full Q2 earnings call transcript and several commentary pieces framing the company’s growth beyond legacy drugs and its collaboration announcements. Full Transcript: Johnson & Johnson Q2 2026 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, the stock fell because MedTech results missed expectations, creating concern that one important division is lagging behind the company’s otherwise solid performance. J&J Stock Falls Despite Strong Q2 Beat & Higher 2026 View: Here’s Why

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.