Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Morgan Stanley

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) had its target price lowered by Morgan Stanley from $294.00 to $292.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

JNJ has been the subject of several other research reports. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $278.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Raymond James Financial set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Monday, August 3rd. HSBC upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Johnson Rice reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $274.87.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.9%

Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $255.54 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $615.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.72, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.21. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $184.66 and a 1-year high of $281.07. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $265.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $249.61.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 31.54% and a net margin of 16.20%. The firm had revenue of $25.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 81.21%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at $4,367,458. This trade represents a 48.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $51,210,615.36. This trade represents a 7.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 87,569 shares of company stock worth $23,064,544 in the last 90 days. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. National Pension Service boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 5,226,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,327,493,000 after buying an additional 67,484 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.8% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 38,760 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,844,000 after buying an additional 3,133 shares during the last quarter. Elefante Mark B increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Elefante Mark B now owns 28,686 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,285,000 after acquiring an additional 2,563 shares during the period. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 76.1% during the 1st quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 15,126 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,697,000 after acquiring an additional 6,539 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 152,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,815,000 after acquiring an additional 13,737 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Third-quarter operational sales grew 6%, reaching $25.4 billion, and management increased full-year operational sales guidance to approximately $100.7 billion at the midpoint. Adjusted EPS also exceeded analysts’ expectations. Johnson & Johnson: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmaceutical momentum and pipeline potential: Strong demand for TREMFYA, early momentum for ICOTYDE and oncology investments helped offset weakness elsewhere. Investors are also watching J&J’s newly approved surgical robot as a potential long-term MedTech growth driver. Does Raised 2026 Outlook Change the Bull Case for Johnson & Johnson?
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive appeal and income support: Investors rotating away from technology stocks amid inflation and interest-rate concerns are favoring dividend-paying healthcare companies. J&J also affirmed its $1.34-per-share fourth-quarter dividend, payable in December 2026. Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating with a $292 price target.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional demand: ETFs recorded approximately $107.4 million of net buying in JNJ, suggesting some portfolio managers continue to view the company as a defensive holding. However, this flow is not necessarily evidence of a change in operating fundamentals. Johnson & Johnson Sees $107.4 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Negative Sentiment: MedTech weakness remains the main overhang: Medical-device sales missed Wall Street forecasts, while international pricing pressure and acquisition-related costs weighed on results. Analysts described the quarter as setting a negative tone for the broader pharmaceutical sector. Johnson & Johnson Stock Falls on MedTech Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst caution: JNJ trades at a premium earnings multiple, increasing the risk of further pressure if growth disappoints. Erste Group expressed a negative view on fiscal 2027 earnings, while RBC lowered its price expectations.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a global healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Founded in 1886, the company develops and markets products and services for patients, healthcare professionals and institutions worldwide.

Johnson & Johnson operates through two principal segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Innovative Medicine focuses on pharmaceuticals for areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and cardiovascular conditions.