Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Down 0.8% – Should You Sell?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares fell 0.8% on Monday . The company traded as low as $158.71 and last traded at $158.89. 800,144 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 6,955,119 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.13.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on JNJ. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Daiwa America downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $175.93.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 1.0 %

The company has a market cap of $381.80 billion, a PE ratio of 22.99, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company’s fifty day moving average is $163.31 and its 200-day moving average is $155.59.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion during 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 revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.66 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.13%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total value of $930,113.10. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,131,683.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the 3rd 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. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 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.