Vest Financial LLC Cuts Stake in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Vest Financial LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 28.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 259,276 shares of the company’s stock after selling 103,567 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $65,848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. DecisionPoint Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 104.2% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 49.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% in the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings and higher guidance remain key catalysts. Second-quarter revenue rose 6.6% to $25.31 billion, exceeding estimates, while adjusted EPS of $2.90 topped the $2.84 consensus. Management also raised its 2026 outlook, reinforcing confidence in near-term earnings growth. Johnson & Johnson Stock Jumps as Healthcare Rotation Lifts Shares
• Positive Sentiment: FDA clearance expands JNJ’s medical-technology opportunity. The company received authorization for MONARCH QUEST 3, an AI-powered software upgrade adding 3D imaging, planning, and navigation capabilities to its robotic bronchoscopy platform. The development supports JNJ’s broader push into robotic surgery and advanced diagnostics. Johnson & Johnson Expands Robotic Bronchoscopy Push
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to favor JNJ as a defensive growth and income stock. Several analysts maintain Buy or Strong Buy views, citing immunology and neuroscience medicines as potential growth engines that can help offset Stelara’s loss of exclusivity. JNJ’s 64-year record of dividend increases and recent quarterly payout of $1.34 also support its appeal to income-focused investors. Analysts Favor Dividend Aristocrats JNJ and LIN
• Neutral Sentiment: Above-average call-option activity points to increased short-term bullish positioning, but options flows may also increase volatility and are not a substitute for fundamental demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Jennifer Taubert sold 15,000 shares for approximately $3.95 million, reducing her holdings by 7.16%. Continued insider selling by multiple executives could weigh modestly on sentiment, although the transaction does not by itself indicate weakening business conditions. SEC insider transaction filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. HSBC set a $290.00 target price on Johnson & Johnson and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Leerink Partners upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.22.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $273.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $658.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.66, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $253.89 and a 200 day moving average of $242.23. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $173.33 and a 52 week high of $276.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The business had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 62.11%.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total value of $5,792,778.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,779,963.81. This trade represents a 50.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 63,972 shares of company stock valued at $16,245,605 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

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.