Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Down 2.3% – Time to Sell?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) fell 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $266.88 and last traded at $269.0370. Approximately 7,767,583 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 4% from the average session volume of 8,120,712 shares. The stock had previously closed at $275.23.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer described the recent pullback in Johnson & Johnson as a buying opportunity, arguing that investors should “buy the dip.” His comments may provide short-term sentiment support, although they represent an opinion rather than a new company catalyst. Cramer Says It’s Time to Buy the Dip on JNJ
• Positive Sentiment: JNJ announced that 24 abstracts covering bipolar mania, depression and schizophrenia will be presented at Psych Congress 2026. The first presentation of pivotal Phase 3 CAPLYTA data in bipolar mania, along with new SPRAVATO analyses, highlights potential pipeline expansion in neuropsychiatry. The commercial impact remains dependent on the detailed data and subsequent regulatory or sales progress. Johnson & Johnson Neuropsychiatry Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary continues to group JNJ with defensive stocks that may offer stability and dividends as investors await CPI data and the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. This could support demand for the shares, but higher interest rates can also limit the appeal of mature dividend stocks. Five Defensive Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sale valued at approximately $9.23 million adds a modest insider-selling signal. One transaction does not establish a broader trend, but it may weigh on sentiment. Johnson & Johnson Insider Selling

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on JNJ shares. Leerink Partners raised Johnson & Johnson from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $270.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $285.00 to $298.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $272.83.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 2.3%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $262.32 and a 200 day moving average of $245.30. The firm has a market cap of $648.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.17, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.77 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total value of $3,950,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,210,615.36. This represents a 7.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total value of $2,411,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,560,551.20. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 97,569 shares of company stock valued at $25,476,044 in the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Blueline Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Outlook Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% in the second quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 946.7% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.