Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Downgraded by Erste Group Bank to “Hold”

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by investment analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday, Briefing.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on JNJ. Raymond James Financial set a $280.00 price objective on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Leerink Partners dropped their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $276.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Johnson Rice reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $275.92.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

NYSE JNJ opened at $259.42 on Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $184.66 and a 12 month high of $281.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $625.17 billion, a PE ratio of 39.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.21. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $265.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $249.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

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

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 33,597 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.74, for a total transaction of $9,230,439.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 25,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,991,308.78. The trade was a 56.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 64,515 shares of company stock worth $17,271,766. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. City State Bank increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. City State Bank now owns 11,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,985,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Atticus Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. Atticus Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $823,000 after buying an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 77,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,236,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the period. Bell Bank boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Bell Bank now owns 5,194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,375,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Capital Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $246,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: MedTech launch supports growth: J&J introduced the next-generation Shockwave C2 Aero Fly coronary intravascular lithotripsy catheter in the U.S. The device delivers pulses at 2 Hz and is designed to reduce treatment time for calcified coronary lesions, potentially improving physician adoption and strengthening J&J’s cardiovascular portfolio. J&J launches Shockwave C2 Aero Fly catheter
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline data remains constructive: TREMFYA maintained or improved remission in Crohn’s disease patients with perianal fistulas through 48 weeks, supporting the drug’s potential expansion and helping offset concerns about future competition to older products. J&J TREMFYA Crohn’s disease data
• Positive Sentiment: Supportive analyst view: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating and $300 price target, citing underappreciated pharmaceutical and MedTech growth. J&J’s latest quarterly results also exceeded EPS and revenue expectations, providing a favorable earnings backdrop.
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition strategy under review: Analysts see growing sales from acquired heart technologies and a larger hospital network, but competition, development costs and the need to convert revenue growth into stronger ownership returns remain concerns. J&J medical device deals analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and valuation risks: Rapport reported positive Phase II results for a novel oral bipolar drug licensed from J&J, potentially creating a future competitor to J&J’s Caplyta. Separately, JLPascual downgraded J&J to Sell, while commentary highlights that the stock trades at a premium multiple and must sustain earnings growth to justify it.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.