Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) had its price target upped by equities researchers at Barclays from $217.00 to $234.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price target indicates a potential downside of 0.70% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $253.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Argus boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $236.91.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $235.64 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $235.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $208.38. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $141.50 and a fifty-two week high of $251.71. The company has a market capitalization of $567.57 billion, a PE ratio of 21.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.34.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $24.28 billion for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 33.04% and a net margin of 28.46%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson 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 transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This represents a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total transaction of $5,527,477.59. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 26,769 shares in the company, valued at $6,540,469.77. This represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 30,142 shares of company stock valued at $7,360,528 over the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves Icotyde — expands J&J’s immunology/new drug portfolio with the first oral IL‑23 receptor antagonist, creating multi‑billion dollar revenue potential and unlocking milestone/royalty pathways with partners. Johnson & Johnson announces U.S. FDA approved Icotyde
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst support — HSBC raised its price target to $280 (Buy) and Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy with a $262 target, reinforcing upside expectations for J&J’s immunology growth. These firm-level views support longer‑term upside. HSBC Raises Johnson & Johnson Price Target TipRanks / Morgan Stanley note
• Neutral Sentiment: Clinical collaboration for prostate cancer — J&J signed a clinical‑supply agreement with GI Innovation to test a combo therapy in mCRPC (Phase 1b). Early‑stage, potentially value‑creating but long horizon. GI Innovation Announces First Clinical Supply Agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $234 but kept an Equal Weight rating — a modest constructive signal, though the rating implies limited near‑term upside from current levels. Barclays Sees Continued Strength in J&J Pharma Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Partner (Protagonist) implications — Protagonist Therapeutics shares have rallied on Icotyde approval news because of milestone/royalty potential; that upside can translate into contingent payments to J&J’s partners but is secondary to J&J’s own sales path. Protagonist Therapeutics Stock Rallies Nearly 7%
• Negative Sentiment: Profit‑taking and macro skepticism — after a large run‑up in JNJ shares, investors appear to be trimming positions; market‑level concerns (stagflation commentary from influential voices) and cautious broker ratings (Equal Weight from Barclays) likely pressured the stock despite the positive product and analyst news. Jim Cramer on Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson Company 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.