Optas LLC Sells 768 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Optas LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 12.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,415 shares of the company’s stock after selling 768 shares during the quarter. Optas LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $827,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 51.8% in the first quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth approximately $47,000. 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth approximately $48,000. von Borstel & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter worth approximately $52,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $190.66 on Friday. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $140.68 and a 12 month high of $192.10. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $178.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $163.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market cap of $459.16 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.40.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 30th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.49% and a net margin of 25.00%.The firm had revenue of $24.02 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 26th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.61%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 56,471 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.81, for a total value of $10,041,108.51. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 178,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,652,491.53. This represents a 24.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on JNJ. Erste Group Bank upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. HSBC upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $188.00 to $210.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $200.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $212.00 target price on Johnson & Johnson and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $192.94.

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.