Johnson & Johnson Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:JNJ)
by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat GemJohnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders bought 34,603 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 29% compared to the typical volume of 26,861 call options.
Johnson & Johnson News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week:
- Positive Sentiment: J&J reported second-quarter sales of $25.31 billion, up 6.6% year over year, while adjusted EPS of $2.90 exceeded analysts’ $2.84 consensus. Management also raised its 2026 outlook, reinforcing confidence in near-term earnings growth. Johnson & Johnson Stock Jumps 3% as Healthcare Rotation Lifts Shares
- Positive Sentiment: The FDA cleared the AI-powered MONARCH QUEST 3 bronchoscopy system. The updated platform adds robotic visualization, airway-access capabilities, AI-assisted planning and imaging support, potentially expanding J&J’s presence in advanced lung diagnostics. J&J secures FDA clearance for MONARCH QUEST 3 bronchoscopy system
- Positive Sentiment: Investors are increasingly viewing immunology and neuroscience as growth engines. New products in these areas could help offset the loss of exclusivity for blockbuster drug Stelara and reduce reliance on mature pharmaceutical franchises. J&J’s New Growth Powerhouses: Immunology and Neuroscience
- Positive Sentiment: Options activity was notably bullish, with traders purchasing 34,603 call contracts—about 29% above the average call volume—indicating increased speculative interest in further gains.
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent FDA progress for J&J’s broader robotic-surgery portfolio, including the OTTAVA system, strengthens the long-term MedTech narrative, although commercial adoption and competitive positioning remain unproven.
- Negative Sentiment: Quiver data shows 21 insider sales and no insider purchases over the past six months. These transactions may reflect compensation or diversification, but the lack of buying is a modest sentiment headwind.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Johnson & Johnson news, EVP Vanessa Broadhurst sold 23,054 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.27, for a total transaction of $5,792,778.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,779,963.81. The trade was a 50.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $4,090,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at $4,367,458. This represents a 48.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 63,972 shares of company stock worth $16,245,605. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JNJ. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 4.9% in the second quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 222,206 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,431,000 after purchasing an additional 10,400 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 10.1% during the second quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 393,806 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,803,000 after purchasing an additional 36,182 shares during the period. RB Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% during the second quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 10,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,601,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Maxele Advisors LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $427,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 348,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,597,000 after buying an additional 36,477 shares during the period. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance
Shares of JNJ traded up $8.68 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $271.05. 7,835,099 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,287,332. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $253.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $241.91. The company has a market cap of $653.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.41, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.24. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $173.33 and a twelve month high of $274.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 21.48% and a return on equity of 32.42%. The business had revenue of $25.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.600-11.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.61 earnings per share for the current year.
Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Johnson & Johnson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.11%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. HSBC set a $290.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $270.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $284.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.22.
View Our Latest Research Report on JNJ
Johnson & Johnson Company Profile
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.