Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Down 0.6% – Time to Sell?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s stock price dropped 0.6% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $151.06 and last traded at $151.90. Approximately 1,750,990 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 9,380,048 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.89.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on JNJ shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $152.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $163.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $170.44.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $362.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.65, a PEG ratio of 2.45 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. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $147.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.12.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.29 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.56 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.59%.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ? increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Summit Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,463,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Knuff & Co LLC increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 9,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perkins Coie Trust Co increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 3,705 shares of the company’s stock worth $600,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Company 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.