Simplify Asset Management Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Simplify Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) by 187.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 67,601 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 44,081 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for about 0.5% of Simplify Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Simplify Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $10,955,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 20,130.0% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,454,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $559,832,000 after acquiring an additional 3,437,397 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 506.9% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,884,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $567,826,000 after purchasing an additional 3,244,862 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 16.8% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 21,834,359 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,453,978,000 after buying an additional 3,139,499 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 59.0% in the second quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 6,708,943 shares of the company’s stock worth $980,579,000 after buying an additional 2,489,925 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $331,178,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE:JNJ traded up $1.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $152.99. 2,654,843 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,978,188. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $368.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a fifty day moving average of $161.56 and a 200 day moving average of $155.97. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $143.13 and a twelve month high of $168.85.

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

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 26th. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 71.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, TD Securities decreased their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $175.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.