Wedmont Private Capital Has $3.40 Million Holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Wedmont Private Capital trimmed its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 2.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,945 shares of the company’s stock after selling 706 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $3,402,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vinva Investment Management Ltd raised its position in Johnson & Johnson by 6.8% during the third quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 111,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,988,000 after buying an additional 7,110 shares during the period. Financial Counselors Inc. grew its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 185,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,996,000 after acquiring an additional 9,309 shares in the last quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 22,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,667,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,639,368 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,858,543,000 after purchasing an additional 102,502 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter worth approximately $69,859,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ traded up $1.98 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $144.04. 5,243,806 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,611,926. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $149.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $156.11. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $140.68 and a one year high of $168.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $346.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The company’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.66 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.44%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JNJ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $166.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.