Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Sold by Essex Savings Bank

Essex Savings Bank decreased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 2.9% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 69,384 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,050 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson makes up about 2.5% of Essex Savings Bank’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Essex Savings Bank’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $10,034,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the third quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.8% during the third quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Knuff & Co LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 9,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perkins Coie Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 3,705 shares of the company’s stock worth $600,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on JNJ shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.71.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 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 purchase, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $147.78 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $148.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.01. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $355.79 billion, a PE ratio of 21.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.51. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $140.68 and a twelve month high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued 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. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The firm had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

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.