Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading Up 1.1%

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares rose 1.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $154.06 and last traded at $153.97. Approximately 1,087,994 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average daily volume of 7,280,173 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.35.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 30th. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, July 1st. Finally, Daiwa America downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.00.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.6 %

The company’s fifty day moving average is $148.62 and its 200-day moving average is $153.25. The stock has a market cap of $386.61 billion, a PE ratio of 10.01, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

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

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.92%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. WFA Asset Management Corp boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Disciplined Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.