Short Interest in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Expands By 9.1%

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 18,760,000 shares, a growth of 9.1% from the January 15th total of 17,200,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

JNJ stock traded down $1.05 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $156.20. The company had a trading volume of 6,402,249 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,304,454. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $147.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $155.95. The company has a market capitalization of $376.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.52. Johnson & Johnson has a 1 year low of $140.68 and a 1 year high of $168.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.05. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 34.35%. The company had revenue of $22.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.29 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.18%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson & Johnson

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $147.22 per share, for a total transaction of $147,220.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of JNJ. IFS Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 138.9% during the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on JNJ. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $181.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $163.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Leerink Partners dropped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $182.00 to $169.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $170.67.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the healthcare field. It operates through the Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension.