Argent Trust Co Purchases 4,349 Shares of Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Argent Trust Co boosted its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 181,290 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,349 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 1.2% of Argent Trust Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Argent Trust Co’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $33,615,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 55.0% in the 2nd quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 707.1% in the 3rd quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $248.81 on Friday. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $141.50 and a 12-month high of $248.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $224.67 and a 200-day moving average of $201.61. The company has a market capitalization of $599.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.35.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share for the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The firm had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.06%.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Early clinical data: Preliminary Phase 1b results for pasritamig (JNJ‑78278343) combined with docetaxel showed deep PSA responses, a safety profile consistent with docetaxel alone, and plans to advance into Phase 3 — a clear pipeline positive if confirmed. Early study results from Johnson & Johnson show promising antitumor activity with combination of pasritamig and docetaxel in advanced prostate cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress & R&D headlines are reinforcing investor confidence in growth beyond legacy products — additional coverage highlights antitumor activity and R&D milestones, supporting longer-term revenue upside. Early study results from Johnson & Johnson show promising antitumor activity with combination of pasritamig and docetaxel in advanced prostate cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and technicals: Analysts and commentary note JNJ is up ~38% over six months and has traded consistently above its 50- and 200-day SMAs — this supports momentum-driven buying and ETF/quant inflows. J&J Stock Up 38% in 6 Months: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive appeal: Published investor pieces emphasize JNJ’s diversified healthcare exposure and reliable dividend, making it attractive in risk-off environments — supporting demand as markets wobble. 2 Reasons I’d Happily Hold Johnson & Johnson Through Any Market Crash
• Neutral Sentiment: Market outperformance note: Coverage flagged that JNJ advanced while the broader market declined today — helpful context for flows but not a fundamental driver by itself. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation risk resurfacing: A Philadelphia jury ordered damages in a talc-related ovarian cancer case — the first plaintiff win since litigation recommenced — reviving product-liability exposure after prior bankruptcy strategies were curtailed. This increases headline and reserve risk. Johnson And Johnson Faces Fresh Talc Verdict As Pipeline Story Evolves
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory / competitor legal pressure: Bayer has filed a separate lawsuit related to marketing practices for a prostate cancer drug — adds uncertainty and potential costs. Johnson And Johnson Faces Fresh Talc Verdict As Pipeline Story Evolves

Analyst Ratings Changes

JNJ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America upped their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $220.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $220.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $232.70.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 1,322 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.66, for a total value of $324,762.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,251,310.02. The trade was a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total transaction of $1,508,287.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,598,700.17. This trade represents a 21.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.