Banyan Capital Management Inc. initiated a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the third quarter, acquiring 3,853 shares valued at approximately $714,000, making J&J its 22nd largest position at 0.3% of total holdings. Norges Bank meanwhile built a $4.88 billion position in the second quarter, and Laurel Wealth Advisors increased its stake by 15,040.6%, to 7.42 million shares worth $1.13 billion. Vanguard Group added 3.09 million shares, boosting its position to 237.05 million shares valued at $36.21 billion, while Geode Capital and Legal & General Group lifted holdings by 2.1% and 6.2%, respectively. In total, institutional investors now control 69.55% of the company’s outstanding shares.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion on the combination of niraparib and abiraterone for BRCA1/2-mutant metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. This opinion paves the way for a new oncology revenue stream in Europe, potentially adding hundreds of millions in incremental sales if final approval follows, and enhances the company’s pharmaceutical growth outlook beyond existing immunology and neuroscience franchises.

Several brokerages have raised their targets and ratings following the company’s strong quarterly performance and pipeline progress. Daiwa Capital Markets raised its target to 237 and maintained an Outperform rating. Morgan Stanley upgraded to Overweight, citing a stronger growth trajectory that underpinned fresh annual highs. Scotiabank increased its target to 265 and reiterated Outperform. Citigroup lifted its objective from 232 to 250 and affirmed a Buy rating. Across the street, one analyst rates the stock as Strong Buy, 17 as Buy and eight as Hold, yielding a consensus Moderate Buy and an average target of 233.05.

In its most recent quarter, the company reported earnings per share of 2.46, exactly meeting consensus, on revenue of 24.56 billion, 9.1% above year-ago levels and beating the 24.14 billion estimate. Net margin reached 28.46% and return on equity was 33.34%. Management set fiscal 2026 guidance at 11.43–11.63 EPS. The board declared a quarterly dividend of 1.30 per share, representing a 5.20 annualized payout and a 2.3% yield, with an ex-dividend date of February 24 and a March 10 record date.