First Financial Bank Trust Division Decreases Stock Holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

First Financial Bank Trust Division cut its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 60,225 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,578 shares during the quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $8,710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of JNJ. Hilltop Partners LLC grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 24.5% in the second quarter. Hilltop Partners LLC now owns 10,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,586,000 after purchasing an additional 2,138 shares during the last quarter. LCM Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.5% in the second quarter. LCM Capital Management Inc now owns 10,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Eukles Asset Management boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 0.8% in the second quarter. Eukles Asset Management now owns 11,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,746,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. LGL Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 38.7% during the second quarter. LGL Partners LLC now owns 3,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $501,000 after acquiring an additional 955 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 253.4% during the second quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC now owns 4,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $693,000 after acquiring an additional 3,400 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ traded down $0.60 during trading on Thursday, reaching $144.02. 5,806,800 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,169,257. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $142.75 and a fifty-two week high of $168.85. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $156.23. The firm has a market cap of $346.75 billion, a PE ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.66 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.44%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on JNJ shares. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $166.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.73.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other 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 price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.