Bell Asset Management Ltd Trims Holdings in Johnson & Johnson $JNJ

Bell Asset Management Ltd lowered its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 37.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,001 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,870 shares during the period. Bell Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $2,781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 51,876 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,502,000 after buying an additional 6,332 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 110.7% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 9,279 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 4,876 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 13.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,863 shares of the company’s stock valued at $896,000 after acquiring an additional 692 shares during the period. Wealth Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 1,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $226,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 73,680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,255,000 after acquiring an additional 6,584 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock opened at $240.57 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Johnson & Johnson has a 52 week low of $141.50 and a 52 week high of $251.71. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $228.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $204.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $579.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, January 31st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $24.28 billion during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.04%. Research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Leerink Partners boosted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $201.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $234.87.

Johnson & Johnson News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval of TECVAYLI® plus DARZALEX FASPRO® for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — approval was based on strong Phase 3 results showing significant improvements in progression‑free and overall survival, and J&J positions the combo as a potential new standard of care as early as second line. This materially expands the company’s oncology commercial opportunity and is the main catalyst lifting sentiment. PR Newswire: J&J FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in dividend lists / dividend‑aristocrat coverage — recent articles cite JNJ among Dividend Kings/Aristocrats, reinforcing its appeal to income and defensive investors given decades of payout growth. That supports demand from dividend‑focused funds and conservative investors. 24/7 Wall St.: Dividend Kings
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target from $225 to $250 but kept a “neutral” rating — the PT lift signals modest analyst upside recognition of recent catalysts, though the unchanged rating tempers near‑term conviction. Benzinga: JPMorgan price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Direct‑to‑consumer website launch — J&J rolled out a site to sell certain drugs directly to U.S. patients who are uninsured or pay out‑of‑pocket; potential to improve access and margin over time, but impact on revenue is unclear near term. Reuters: direct-to-consumer site
• Negative Sentiment: $65 million Tracleer antitrust settlement — two J&J units agreed to pay $65M to resolve a class action alleging overcharges for the pulmonary hypertension drug; materiality is modest relative to J&J’s scale but it is a headline legal expense. Reuters: Tracleer settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price volatility / recent pullback — a few market reports noted a day‑over‑day decline ahead of the approval news; investors should be prepared for swings as the market digests launch timing, uptake and reimbursement dynamics. Zacks: recent decline

Insider Activity

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Timothy Schmid sold 22,623 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.33, for a total transaction of $5,527,477.59. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 26,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,540,469.77. This trade represents a 45.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 6,197 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.39, for a total value of $1,508,287.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,598,700.17. The trade was a 21.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 30,142 shares of company stock worth $7,360,528. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Johnson & Johnson 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.