Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Upgraded at Freedom Capital

Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on JNJ. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $258.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Johnson Rice raised Johnson & Johnson from an “outperform” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $265.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $265.30.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

JNJ opened at $252.93 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $239.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $234.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $608.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.31, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $162.78 and a 1-year high of $269.43.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.86%. The company’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.11%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,560,551.20. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. Ballast Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ballast Inc. now owns 25,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,405,000 after acquiring an additional 2,088 shares during the last quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 4.1% during the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,475 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,644,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at approximately $216,000. Hudson Value Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC now owns 38,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,828,000 after purchasing an additional 3,045 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Adirondack Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $281,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson News Summary

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

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

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.