Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Price Target Cut to $163.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) had its price objective lowered by Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $163.00 in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

JNJ has been the topic of a number of other reports. Leerink Partners decreased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $182.00 to $169.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $152.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $170.06.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

NYSE JNJ opened at $146.58 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $148.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $156.05. The firm has a market cap of $352.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $140.68 and a twelve month high of $168.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.05. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The business had revenue of $22.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22,438,500 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.29 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.38%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. IFS Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% during the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

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.