First Trust Advisors LP Increases Holdings in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 7.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,237,261 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 148,223 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $414,833,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter worth $27,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted 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. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 707.1% during the third quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

NYSE:JNJ opened at $240.57 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $579.75 billion, a PE ratio of 21.77, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $228.36 and its 200 day moving average is $204.01. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $141.50 and a fifty-two week high of $251.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 EPS for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The company had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.06%.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval of TECVAYLI® plus DARZALEX FASPRO® for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — approval was based on strong Phase 3 results showing significant improvements in progression‑free and overall survival, and J&J positions the combo as a potential new standard of care as early as second line. This materially expands the company’s oncology commercial opportunity and is the main catalyst lifting sentiment. PR Newswire: J&J FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in dividend lists / dividend‑aristocrat coverage — recent articles cite JNJ among Dividend Kings/Aristocrats, reinforcing its appeal to income and defensive investors given decades of payout growth. That supports demand from dividend‑focused funds and conservative investors. 24/7 Wall St.: Dividend Kings
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $225 to $250 but kept a “neutral” rating — the PT lift signals modest analyst upside recognition of recent catalysts, though the unchanged rating tempers near‑term conviction. Benzinga: JPMorgan price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Direct‑to‑consumer website launch — J&J rolled out a site to sell certain drugs directly to U.S. patients who are uninsured or pay out‑of‑pocket; potential to improve access and margin over time, but impact on revenue is unclear near term. Reuters: direct-to-consumer site
• Negative Sentiment: $65 million Tracleer antitrust settlement — two J&J units agreed to pay $65M to resolve a class action alleging overcharges for the pulmonary hypertension drug; materiality is modest relative to J&J’s scale but it is a headline legal expense. Reuters: Tracleer settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price volatility / recent pullback — a few market reports noted a day‑over‑day decline ahead of the approval news; investors should be prepared for swings as the market digests launch timing, uptake and reimbursement dynamics. Zacks: recent decline

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total value of $1,508,287.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,598,700.17. This represents a 21.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 1,322 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.66, for a total value of $324,762.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,251,310.02. This trade represents a 4.94% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528 over the last three months. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

JNJ has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Argus raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.87.

Johnson & Johnson 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.