Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Sets New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shares hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $142.75 and last traded at $144.00, with a volume of 1958380 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $143.58.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on JNJ. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.73.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $155.16 and its 200 day moving average is $156.30. 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 stock has a market cap of $347.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 35.45% and a net margin of 19.14%. The business had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.43%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 71.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Mark A. Weinberger bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Summit Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the second quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,463,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 3.5% in the second quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp now owns 1,884 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its position in 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 period. Finally, Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 1.9% in the second quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson & Johnson

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.