Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Shares Sold by MetLife Investment Management LLC

MetLife Investment Management LLC reduced its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 2.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 626,050 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,000 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson makes up about 0.6% of MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $101,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 58.7% in the third quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Johnson & Johnson

In other news, VP Robert J. Decker sold 5,635 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.06, for a total value of $930,113.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 18,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,131,683.38. This represents a 22.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ stock opened at $154.61 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $372.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $143.13 and a 12 month high of $168.85. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $159.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $156.39.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.93 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be paid a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on JNJ. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $175.94.

Johnson & Johnson Profile

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.