In the third quarter, Banyan Capital Management Inc. initiated a position of 3,853 shares in Johnson & Johnson, representing approximately $714,000 of capital and accounting for 0.3% of the firm’s portfolio—its 22nd largest holding. During the same period, Norges Bank established a new stake valued at $4.88 billion, Laurel Wealth Advisors increased its J&J exposure by 15,040.6% to 7.42 million shares (approximately $1.13 billion), Vanguard Group added 3.09 million shares (1.3% growth) to reach a total holding of 237.05 million shares (roughly $36.21 billion), Geode Capital Management grew its position by 2.1% to 60.61 million shares ($9.23 billion) and Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake by 6.2% to 18.92 million shares ($2.89 billion). Institutional investors now hold 69.55% of the company’s shares.

The European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a positive opinion on AKEEGA (niraparib plus abiraterone) for patients with BRCA1/2-mutant metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. That recommendation, if converted into formal approval, would open a new oncology revenue stream estimated to address an eligible patient population of 6,000–8,000 individuals annually in key European markets, supporting mid-single-digit percentage growth in the pharmaceuticals segment over the next three years.

Since the Q4 report, five major brokerages have raised target levels and reiterated outperform or buy ratings. Daiwa Capital Markets increased its objective to 237, Morgan Stanley upgraded on stronger growth visibility, Scotiabank lifted its target to 265 following quarterly outperformance, Guggenheim raised its price goal to 240 and Loop Capital set a 220 target in December. Consensus from 26 firms yields a Moderate Buy rating and an average target of 233, reflecting mid-teens percentage upside to current consensus estimates.

Johnson & Johnson reported fourth-quarter revenue of $24.56 billion (up 9.1% year-over-year) and delivered EPS of $2.46, matching consensus forecasts. The pharmaceutical unit expanded 12.4%, medical devices grew 5.8% and consumer health increased 2.9%. Net margin stood at 28.5% and return on equity at 33.3%. Management reaffirmed full-year guidance of 11.43–11.63 EPS for fiscal 2026 and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share—marking the 61st consecutive annual increase and representing a 47.1% payout ratio.