Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on JNJ. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.71.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 1.8 %

NYSE:JNJ traded up $2.53 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $146.19. 8,411,863 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,062,504. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $150.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $156.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $351.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $142.75 and a twelve month high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.66 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 9,652.2% during the second quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 328,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $480,000 after buying an additional 325,086 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 28.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 923,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $134,977,000 after purchasing an additional 206,671 shares in the last quarter. Fiducient Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter worth $660,000. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.5% in the second quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC now owns 126,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,555,000 after buying an additional 1,924 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lynch & Associates IN lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Lynch & Associates IN now owns 91,451 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,366,000 after buying an additional 2,293 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.