Callahan Advisors LLC Purchases 4,467 Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Callahan Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 122,709 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,467 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson makes up about 1.7% of Callahan Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Callahan Advisors LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $17,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vinva Investment Management Ltd increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 111,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,988,000 after purchasing an additional 7,110 shares during the period. Financial Counselors Inc. increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 185,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,996,000 after purchasing an additional 9,309 shares during the period. Oregon Pacific Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at $949,000. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% during the 3rd quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 22,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,667,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,639,368 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,858,543,000 after purchasing an additional 102,502 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $162.35 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $148.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $155.90. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $140.68 and a twelve month high of $168.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.87 billion, a PE ratio of 24.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.52.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $22.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.44 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.24%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.29 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is 74.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $147,220. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 403 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.15, for a total transaction of $62,928.45. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 15,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,357,552.70. This trade represents a 2.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JNJ has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $159.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $163.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $162.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $166.00 to $152.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $181.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $170.67.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.