Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Downgraded to Neutral at Daiwa Capital Markets

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by research analysts at Daiwa Capital Markets from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $150.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $160.00. Daiwa Capital Markets’ price target indicates a potential downside of 4.02% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Monday, July 1st. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $173.00.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $156.28 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $148.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $153.20. The firm has a market cap of $376.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.74, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.17. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $143.13 and a 52-week high of $175.97.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.79% and a net margin of 46.34%. The company had revenue of $22.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. WFA Asset Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 255 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.