Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Freedom Capital

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 18th, 2026

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on JNJ. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $254.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $225.00 to $251.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.30.

Get Our Latest Report on JNJ

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $252.93 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $239.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.63. The company has a market cap of $608.86 billion, a PE ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $162.78 and a fifty-two week high of $269.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.86%. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total transaction of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Greenberg Financial Group acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at $954,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 161,343 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,390,000 after buying an additional 26,450 shares during the period. Benchmark Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at $554,000. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45,222 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,359,000 after buying an additional 2,660 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robinhood Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at $11,853,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Johnson & Johnson

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week:

Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson beat Q2 earnings and revenue estimates, showing solid demand and execution in its core business. J&J Stock Falls Despite Strong Q2 Beat & Higher 2026 View: Here’s Why
Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 guidance after the report, reinforcing confidence in its growth outlook and pipeline momentum. Johnson & Johnson Raises 2026 Outlook After Q2 Earnings Beat
Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $270 price target, signaling continued analyst confidence. Benzinga article on Guggenheim rating reaffirmation
Positive Sentiment: Some market commentary suggests the post-earnings pullback could be an opportunity to buy JNJ on strength after a run to 52-week highs. Why Johnson and Johnson’s Earnings Dip Looks Like a Buying Opportunity
Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also digesting the full Q2 earnings call transcript and several commentary pieces framing the company’s growth beyond legacy drugs and its collaboration announcements. Full Transcript: Johnson & Johnson Q2 2026 Earnings Call
Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, the stock fell because MedTech results missed expectations, creating concern that one important division is lagging behind the company’s otherwise solid performance. J&J Stock Falls Despite Strong Q2 Beat & Higher 2026 View: Here’s Why

About Johnson & Johnson

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Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world.

The company’s pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience.