Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Short Interest Down 14.3% in September

by · The Markets Daily

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 19,740,000 shares, a drop of 14.3% from the September 15th total of 23,030,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 6,550,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total transaction of $930,113.10. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 18,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,131,683.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at $27,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 528.6% in the fourth quarter. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. now owns 308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 217.1% during the second quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of JNJ traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $164.28. The stock had a trading volume of 1,174,424 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,020,750. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $395.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.52. The business’s fifty day moving average is $162.70 and its 200 day moving average is $154.52. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $143.13 and a 52-week high of $168.85.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.66 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JNJ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Johnson & Johnson from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $160.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $175.00.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on JNJ

About Johnson & Johnson

(Get Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

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