Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Trading 1.1% Higher – Should You Buy?

27 Jul 2026, 21:20 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.1% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $268.80 and last traded at $266.3520. 9,465,674 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 12% from the average session volume of 8,418,270 shares. The stock had previously closed at $263.40.

Key Johnson & Johnson News

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

Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson’s oncology strategy is becoming a more prominent part of its investment thesis. The company is emphasizing cancer treatments as a major growth engine, which could improve its long-term outlook if its pipeline and commercial execution produce strong results. Johnson & Johnson Now Leads Its Pitch With An Oncology Bet
Positive Sentiment: Although MedTech growth slowed in the second quarter, stronger performance in Vision, Surgery and Orthopedics, along with new product launches, could support an improvement in sales during the second half. J&J’s MedTech Performance Slows in Q2: Will Sales Improve in H2?
Positive Sentiment: Johnson & Johnson continues to be viewed as a high-quality Dividend King, offering investors a combination of pharmaceutical and medical-device exposure. That defensive positioning may appeal to income-focused investors, although comparisons with AbbVie highlight differing growth and valuation trade-offs. Better Dividend King to Buy Right Now: AbbVie or Johnson & Johnson?
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors are assessing whether recent strength has left both JNJ and AbbVie relatively expensive. Valuation could limit near-term upside even if the companies’ long-term fundamentals remain attractive. Better Dividend King to Buy Right Now: AbbVie or Johnson & Johnson?
Negative Sentiment: MedTech growth was weaker in the second quarter, particularly in Cardiovascular, creating an execution risk for the company’s second-half sales targets. J&J’s MedTech Performance Slows in Q2: Will Sales Improve in H2?
Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Vanessa Broadhurst reportedly sold 23,054 JNJ shares on July 20. While one insider transaction does not establish a trend, the sale may weigh modestly on sentiment, particularly with the stock trading near its 52-week high. President Trump Loves Johnson & Johnson, But Insiders Are Selling

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Freedom Capital raised Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $263.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.30.

View Our Latest Research Report on JNJ

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $242.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $236.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $641.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.24.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.06 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 32.42% and a net margin of 21.48%.The company’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.77 EPS. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 62.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Kathryn E. Wengel sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.15, for a total transaction of $2,411,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,551.20. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,436,633,000 after acquiring an additional 69,108,368 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth about $6,924,523,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,005,942,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,338,000 after purchasing an additional 4,454,778 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 240,349,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,740,362,000 after purchasing an additional 3,731,074 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Johnson & Johnson

(Get Free Report)

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.