Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on JNJ. Wolfe Research started coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $166.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $142.10 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $150.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $156.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $342.12 billion, a PE ratio of 20.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $141.44 and a twelve month high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. Johnson & Johnson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson & Johnson news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.