Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Acquired by Bensler LLC

Bensler LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,985 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the quarter. Bensler LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Johnson & Johnson by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,074,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. MBE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. KFA Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. KFA Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,266 shares of the company’s stock valued at $472,000 after acquiring an additional 765 shares during the period. VCI Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 32.9% in the 4th quarter. VCI Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,805,000 after acquiring an additional 4,805 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Curbstone Financial Management Corp lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp now owns 26,732 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,866,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $152.09 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $147.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $156.07. The stock has a market cap of $366.17 billion, a PE ratio of 22.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $140.68 and a 1-year high of $168.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 34.35% and a net margin of 18.20%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 74.59%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Argus upgraded Johnson & Johnson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $163.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $170.44.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.