Investors Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 37,990 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 23% compared to the average volume of 30,785 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at $4,877,174,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 15,040.6% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,420,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,512,000 after acquiring an additional 7,371,687 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 545.6% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,865,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $716,657,000 after acquiring an additional 3,266,354 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,047,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,209,060,000 after purchasing an additional 3,085,180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 19.3% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 13,354,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,512,719,000 after purchasing an additional 2,163,838 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on JNJ. Argus lifted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Loop Capital set a $220.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $174.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, HSBC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $230.36.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $224.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $540.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.34. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $141.50 and a 12 month high of $225.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The business has a 50-day moving average of $209.28 and a 200 day moving average of $190.32.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.46. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.34%. The firm had revenue of $24.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.430-11.630 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.06%.

Key Stories Impacting Johnson & Johnson

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management issued strong FY‑2026 guidance and highlighted accelerating growth, which lifts forward earnings and revenue expectations for JNJ. JNJ Delivers Strong 2026 Guidance Even as Policy Costs Loom
• Positive Sentiment: FDA approved a DARZALEX FASPRO®‑based quadruplet (D‑VRd) for newly diagnosed, transplant‑ineligible multiple myeloma — expands label, reinforces DARZALEX as foundational therapy and supports longer‑term oncology sales growth. DARZALEX FASPRO®-based quadruplet regimen approved in the U.S.
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised J&J’s price target (to $240) after the solid Q4 results and the strong 2026 guide, signaling buy‑side confidence and potential upward pressure from analysts. Guggenheim Lifts Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Outlook After Solid Q4 and 2026 Guide
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option volume (about 37,990 calls, ~23% above average) suggests short‑term bullish positioning by traders and potential added upside momentum in the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: J&J reported corporate social impact activity — $100M of MedTech donations since 2020 and an additional $20M commitment — positive for brand/ESG but unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals. Johnson & Johnson Marks $100 Million of MedTech Products Donated Since 2020
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces (Zacks, coverage on momentum and trending status) highlight market interest and technical strength; useful for sentiment but not a direct catalyst. J&J Targets $100B+ Sales in 2026 as Growth Accelerates in Both Units
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged potential policy and reimbursement headwinds that could raise costs or pressure margins in certain markets — a risk to near‑term profitability if issues intensify. JNJ Delivers Strong 2026 Guidance Even as Policy Costs Loom

About Johnson & Johnson

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.