Johnson & Johnson $JNJ Shares Sold by Whittier Trust Co.

Whittier Trust Co. lowered its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 7.5% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 190,268 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,373 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $29,063,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $47,000. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. von Borstel & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $191.93 on Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $140.68 and a fifty-two week high of $194.48. The firm has a market cap of $462.23 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.40. The business’s fifty day moving average is $181.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 30th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $24.02 billion for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 33.08% and a net margin of 27.26%. Analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 25th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Erste Group Bank upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Daiwa America upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday. Citigroup increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $213.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. HSBC increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $190.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 56,471 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.81, for a total value of $10,041,108.51. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 178,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,652,491.53. This trade represents a 24.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.