Johnson & Johnson Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 31,499 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 36% compared to the typical volume of 23,198 call options.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE JNJ opened at $249.70 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $601.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.93, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $162.30 and a one year high of $269.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $239.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $234.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.86%. The business’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.67 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is presently 62.11%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% during the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Family CFO Inc acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $263.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $234.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.30.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson beat Q2 estimates, posting earnings of $2.90 per share on revenue of $25.31 billion, helped by strong growth in Innovative Medicine products such as Darzalex, Tremfya and Spravato. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 guidance, signaling confidence in continued growth from its pharma pipeline and broader portfolio. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pointed to momentum beyond legacy drugs, with newer treatments and innovation in medtech and AI-enabled tools supporting the growth story. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J also declared its quarterly dividend, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive income stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat and higher outlook, some reports noted the stock slipped because the market had already priced in strong results and is still weighing mixed MedTech performance and ongoing litigation risk. Article Title

About Johnson & Johnson

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.