JNJ - Johnson & Johnson
| Previous Close | 130.54 |
| Open | 131.47 |
| Bid | 131.24 x 1400 |
| Ask | 131.45 x 4000 |
| Day's Range | 130.60 - 131.67 |
| 52 Week Range | 121.00 - 148.99 |
| Volume | 5,858,853 |
| Avg. Volume | 7,423,679 |
| Market Cap | 346.681B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.72 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 21.82 |
| EPS (TTM) | 6.02 |
| Earnings Date | Oct 15, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 3.80 (2.91%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-08-26 |
| 1y Target Est | 149.35 |
- Investopedia
Top Defensive Consumer Stocks for 2018
These three defensive consumer stocks can add stability to your portfolio. These stocks deal with staples and are less susceptible to market volatility.
- Business Wire
JOHNSON & JOHNSON INVESTIGATION UPDATE by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Continues to Investigate the Officers and Directors of Johnson & Johnson - JNJ
Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) (JNJ). The Company has been embroiled in significant litigation by over 11,000 consumers claiming that its iconic talc powder products contained asbestos that caused cancer. Some cases have resulted in massive verdicts against J&J including a $117 million award by one New Jersey jury in April 2018 and a $4.7 billion award in Missouri to 22 plaintiffs in July 2018.
- Moody's
Jabil Inc. -- Moody's assigns Prime-3 short term rating to Jabil's new $1.8 billion commercial paper program
Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") assigned a Prime-3 short term rating to Jabil Inc.'s ("Jabil") new $1.8 billion commercial paper program. Borrowings under the new commercial paper program will be used to replace current revolver borrowings.
- Zacks
Pharma Stock Roundup: Pipeline/Regulatory Updates From JNJ, LLY, AZN, RHHBY
FDA approves Roche's (RHHBY) tumor-agnostic medicine, Rozlytrek, J&J's Sirturo for young TB patients.
- InvestorPlace
10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
[Editor's note: "10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever" was previously published in July 2019. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]In a market environment that overwhelmingly encourages constant activity by investors who seemingly want to double their money every week, a discussion of stocks to buy and hold forever seems comically out of place.And yet, for better or worse, that's the mindset all of us should adopt when deploying most of our investing capital. More often than not, the more you trade, the worse you end up doing.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsIt has been said (and verified) that 95% of true "day traders" -- the most aggressive and active of all market participants -- end up losing money by being too active for their own good. Conversely, the fact that Warren Buffett's favorite holding period is "forever" and how he's got a track record most investors would envy is just as telling. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On With that as the backdrop, here's a rundown of 10 stocks to buy and hold forever … or at least until something significant changes with your life plans or the companies themselves. AT&T (T)Dividend Yield: 5.% Year-to-date gain: 20%Calling a spade a spade, shares of telecom giant AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) haven't been easy to own in a while. The stock is down from its mid-2016 peak, while most other stocks are well up for the timeframe.Source: Shutterstock The impasse has been an increasingly-tougher wireless and broadband market. But now that it's acquired media outfit Time Warner Inc (NYSE:TWX), a turnaround might have begun.If your intended timeframe really is "forever" though, a tough couple of years is nothing … particularly considering you're collecting a healthy dividend yield on your position's current value.More than that though, this is a telco name with a lot of clout, and a little more than $50 billion in the bank. Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG)Dividend Yield: N/A Year-to-date gain: 12.7%Fans and followers of the company will likely know that Google parent company Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL, NASDAQ:GOOG) beat Q4's earnings estimate, posting $12.77 per share.Source: Shutterstock What got lost in the shuffle is how operating margins fell to 21 % from last quarter's 24%.Appreciated or not, Alphabet is a profit and revenue growth machine that has earned its spot on a list of "forever" stocks to buy. It may not always beat estimates, but it does always increase its numbers. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On That's because it keeps finding a way to serve as the middleman for about 70% of web searches done on desktops, and boasts being the preferred search engine for about 90% of the queries made via a mobile device.If it was going to be toppled, we'd see evidence of it by now. 3M (MMM)Dividend Yield: 3.67% Year-to-date gain: -18%In an era where complicated companies are shedding disparate parts of themselves so each arm can be hyper-focused on doing one thing exceedingly well, 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) is something of an outlier.Source: Shutterstock It offers everything from office supplies to healthcare products to the power transformers you see perched on top of power-line poles.It's wild mix that seems to work for 3M though, giving the company something to sell regardless of the economic environment.The clincher: 3M has managed to pay and increase its dividend every year going all the way back to 1977. Walmart (WMT)Dividend Yield: 1.88% Year-to-date gain: 21%Yes, the advent of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has proven problematic for the world's biggest retailer, Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT).Source: Shutterstock Rumors of Walmart's death at the hands of Amazon, however, have been greatly exaggerated.After being knocked over a few years ago, the company has regrouped, having figured out a way to fight the ever-growing reach of its online rival. The evidence? Last quarter's revenue, excluding currency fluctuations, jumped 2.9%. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On While it has been an ugly battle at times, Walmart has finally learned how to compete with Amazon.com. The fact that it can leverage its stores to do so only bolsters the bullish case. Southern Co (SO)Dividend Yield: 4.49% Year-to-date gain: 30%No list of stocks to buy and hold forever would be complete without a utility stock. In good times and bad, consumers almost always pay their electricity bill.Source: Shutterstock And, even though margins are thin and power providers don't have a ton of pricing power, they have little competition in most markets. Most requests for rate hikes are also approved without question.To that end, Southern Co (NYSE:SO) is one of the top picks of the litter.Southern serves nine million customers, mostly in the south, although it's represented in most of the major regions of the United States. More important, Southern Co has dished out stunningly consistent (even if tiny) profit growth, setting the stage for equally consistent dividends. It has not failed to increase its annual payout since the late 90's. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)Dividend Yield: 2.9% Year-to-date gain: 1.15%As advanced as we've become as a society, the need for medicines, surgical products and simple healthcare solutions like Band-Aids and Tylenol is never going to go away.Source: Shutterstock That means Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) -- which maintains a bigger product portfolio than most investors realize -- will always have something to sell to someone.That being said, don't think for a minute that a play on J&J is capitulation in the search for respectable growth. The company isn't just about treating tummy troubles and selling no-tears baby shampoo. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On It still operates a pharmaceutical arm as well, with its pharma operational revenue jumping 4.4% year-over-year last quarter, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B, BRK.A)Dividend Yield: N/A Year-to-date gain: -2%If the Warren Buffett mindset is the underlying philosophy in play here, why not go straight to the source and buy a piece of the fund he built from the ground up? That's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B, NYSE:BRK.A).Source: Shutterstock Sure, in his most recent letter to shareholders, the Oracle of Omaha said he's struggling to find new companies at a "sensible purchase price," which is the life-blood of the organization's growth. There's also the stark reality that the 87-year-old Buffett is increasingly less involved with Berkshire Hathaway. That separation is only going to widen as time marches on.Still, he has more than proven his way works for the long haul. Over the course of the past half-century, Berkshire stock has performed about twice as well as the S&P 500 has. Waste Management (WM)Dividend Yield: 1.73% Year-to-date gain: 33%There's an old adage … the only two sure things in life are death and taxes.Source: Shutterstock It's a humorous point about the limited nature of human life and the far-reaching power of the IRS. But, it's not necessarily a complete cliche. There's a third certainty. That is, as long as people are living on the planet earth, they'll be creating garbage to shuttle to their nearby landfill. Some of the best stocks to buy and hold are companies that haul that garbage away.Enter Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), which runs garbage-pickup services for 21 million North American customers. Although its top and bottom lines ebb and flow, the bigger trend for both is pointed upward. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On Look for more of the same too. As CEO Jim Fish pointed out last year, "The babyboomers are coming into a period of heavy medical spend. All of our parents are aging and spending more on medical spend. There is medical waste generated from that, we are in that business. The industrial economy is important to us.Whether it's through repatriation from the new tax law, or just through the fact the U.S. and Canada are great places to do business and the industrial economy is showing some signs of life, we are a big industrial player on the back-end of the cycle." American Water Works (AWK)Dividend Yield: 1.61% Year-to-date gain: 37.4%Perhaps just as certain as death, taxes and the creation of trash, as long as people are alive they're going to need water to survive. That puts a water utility name like American Water Works Company Inc (NYSE:AWK) in the catbird seat. Reliability and demand make water utilities safe stocks to buy when others seem sketchy.Source: Shutterstock Much like electricity providers Southern Company, American Water Works Company -- which offers water and sewer services to 15 million people in the United States -- is rarely told no when it wants to raise rates.Water service prices have risen at above-inflation rates for the past several years, and American Water Works Company has benefited from that industry-wide trend. It's not apt to change anytime soon. Colgate-Palmolive (CL)Dividend Yield: 2.40% Year-to-date gain: 21%Last but not least, while the purchase of things like cars are cyclical, and the automobile industry itself is subject to constant reinvention, there are some consumer goods people just buy over and over again without a second thought. When it comes to the best stocks to buy and hold, you just can't forget consumer staples.Source: Shutterstock Among those often-repurchased items are Colgate toothpaste, Palmolive dish soap, Speed Stick deodorant and Cuddly fabric conditioner.Yep, they're all made by Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), though they're only a small sampling of the brands you'll find under the company's umbrella. * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On Those who know the Colgate-Palmolive story well will know the company has gotten into some sloppy spending habits, crimping margins more than most shareholders would like. That's starting to change, however, with a serious and rather impressive cost-cutting initiative. The benefits of that work could last years, if not decades.As of this writing, James Brumley hold a long position in AT&T. You can follow him on Twitter, at @jbrumley. More From InvestorPlace * 4 Top American Penny Pot Stocks (Buy Before June 21) * 7 Stocks to Buy for June * 7 Stocks to Buy From One of America's Best Pension Funds * 4 Consumer Staples Stocks for Both Income and Growth The post 10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investopedia
The Top Pharma Stocks for 2019
Find out how the pharmaceutical industry is thriving, the new drugs that are coming to market, and the top pharmaceutical stocks for 2019.
- Zacks
Why Is Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Down 1.2% Since Last Earnings Report?
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.
- Zacks
Lilly's Taltz Outshines J&J's Tremfya in Psoriasis Study
Lilly's (LLY) Taltz is an important revenue driver for Lilly. Top-line data from a study shows that Taltz helps more plaque psoriasis patients achieve 100% skin clearance compared to Tremfya.
- InvestorPlace
JNJ Stock Is a Way Better Investment Than Bonds or CDs
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is not the world's most exciting stock, and it's been a fairly underwhelming past two years even by J&J standards. Two years ago, JNJ stock was trading around $130 per share. It's back there again today.Source: Shutterstock JNJ stock has underperformed the market recently on a variety of short-term worries. These include its potential liabilities in various product lawsuits, weak drug pricing, and regulatory and political concerns.In the long run, however, the stock's short-term weakness could be setting up an opportunity. Because while shares have stalled out, Johnson and Johnson's dividends go up every year. That's in stark contrast to interest rates, which are plummeting again.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Interest Rates Are Going to Zero, And BeyondThere seems to be almost no limit to how low bond yields can go. In the United States, long-term treasury yields have plummeted back to their lowest levels in decades. * 7 Stocks the Insiders Are Buying on Sale The 10-year treasury yield, for example, hit 1.5% in 2016. That appeared to be a generational low - in 2017 rates soared as investors factored in more growth and inflation from President Trump's Administration. This never panned out however, and the 10-year yield has plunged back to the 2016 lows.Overseas, it's even more dramatic. All told, the world has roughly $15 trillion in debt that has a negative yield. That means that you buy these bonds today, you'll get less back through maturity than you pay upfront. You literally would get better returns putting money in your mattress.The madness doesn't stop there. Some European junk bonds (that is, companies with poor credit) now have negative-yielding bonds. Even companies with flimsy balance sheets now get to borrow for free or next to nothing. On the flip side of the coin, we just heard about a European bank that will start offering negative interest mortgages. In English, that means that homeowners will be paid to take out a mortgage. J&J Faces Short-Term HeadwindsWith all that in mind, it's worth taking another look at high-quality blue-chip stocks like Johnson and Johnson. Not everything is going perfectly for Johnson and Johnson right now.Read my previous article about the company, which discusses its exposure to liability lawsuits, among other things, for more perspective.And I stand by that call. If you are a short-term trader, this isn't a great time to pick up JNJ stock. The company faces short-term challenges from lawsuits, pressure on drug pricing, and potentially harmful changes to the health care regulatory structure in the U.S. It's not all blue skies for Johnson and Johnson at this very moment. Johnson and Johnson Is a Health Care TitanHowever, if you are looking at JNJ stock as an alternative to bonds or other fixed income, the situation changes dramatically. As I said in my article on Johnson and Johnson's opioid and talc issues, that's a short-term headwind for JNJ stock. But the long-term picture remains extremely bright.J&J is a highly diversified company. In effect, it runs as a conglomerate, giving its independent brands and divisions plenty of room to manage their own affairs. This greatly reduces risk, as any single product or drug's sales don't pose much risk to the overall franchise.On a bigger level, J&J operates in three main segments. They have consumer products for things such as baby and skincare. They have medical devices. And they have pharmaceutical drugs.The huge range of products and different needs that J&J serves greatly protects the company from competition, economic downturns, and specific government regulation. For more than a century, Johnson and Johnson has prospered through numerous depressions and world wars. Fixed Income Isn't Paying Very Much Right NowOver the next three months or even a year, anything can happen. If you hold Johnson and Johnson as a long-term investment in place of bonds, CDs, or other fixed-income products, however, the odds are skewed highly in your favor.Let's look at two concrete examples. First, what happens if you buy an FDIC-insured bank CD right now? As of this writing, the highest CD rate available on a five-year term from a nationally-known bank is 2.65% from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS). Give their bank $1,000 and you'll get back a guaranteed $26.50 every year for the next five years, or $132.50 in total interest, plus your $1,000 of principle.Now let's turn to five-year government treasury bonds. These are not insured by the FDIC, but are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, which is still highly rated despite its flaws. At this time, five-year treasury bonds yield 1.5%. Buy $1,000 of one of these bonds, and hold to maturity, and you'll get your $1,000 back plus $15 annually in interest. That'd be $75 total. Not as good as the Goldman Sachs bank CD. JNJ Stock Will Crush Bonds If You're PatientJNJ stock, on the other hand, is currently yielding 2.9%. Invest $1,000 in it, and you'll get back $7.25 every three months, or $29 annually. If nothing changed, you'd get back $145 in dividends over the next five years, comfortably beating the bank CD at $132 and the government bond at $75. But things get better. Historically, Johnson and Johnson raises its dividend by about 7% every year.This means that while you're getting $29 of dividends from Johnson and Johnson stock this year, by the fifth year, you'd be getting $41 annually. Over time, the numbers continue to grow.Had you bought JNJ stock a decade ago, it'd be paying back nearly 10% of your initial investment annually. Bonds and CDs, however, never see their yields go up over time. Also, while nothing is guaranteed, more often than not, JNJ stock will appreciate in value, giving you a capital gain in addition to your rising dividend yield.In a world where interest rates are going lower and lower, Johnson and Johnson stock looks like a fantastic bond alternative. At its relatively high valuation and with the lawsuit overhang, is the stock going to crush the market over the next year or two? Probably not. Will it beat fixed income investments over the next five, ten, or twenty years? There's a great likelihood that it will.At the time of this writing, Ian Bezek owned JNJ stock and GS stock. You can reach him on Twitter at @irbezek. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 15 Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul * 5 More Cloud Stocks With Plenty of Potential * 5 Clean Energy ETFs to Buy for 2019 The post JNJ Stock Is a Way Better Investment Than Bonds or CDs appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Benzinga
Lilly's Psoriasis Drug Found Superior To J&J's Tremfya In Phase 4 Study
Lilly said Tuesday ahead of the market open that Talz, a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds with interleukin 17A (IL-17A) cytokine, met the primary and all major secondary endpoints up to 12 weeks in the Phase 4 IXORA-R study. Taltz has been approved for treating adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, and also for adults with psoriatic arthritis.
- Simply Wall St.
What Kind Of Shareholders Own Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)?
Every investor in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Institutions...
- Motley Fool
5 Biggest New Drugs Approved in 2019 So Far
And the one big pharma most likely to benefit the most.
- Investor's Business Daily
Dow Jones Falls 300 Points; Pfizer, Goldman Sachs Lead Downside
The Dow Jones led the downside Monday, weighed down by weakness in Pfizer and Goldman Sachs, but several stocks in the MarketSmith Growth 250 outperformed.
- Motley Fool
The 10 Biggest Value Stocks
If you want to get started with value investing, take a look at these massive companies.
- Zacks
J&J's Tuberculosis Drug Gets FDA Nod for Adolescent Patients
FDA approves J&J's (JNJ) pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis tablet Sirturo (bedaquiline) for the treatment of adolescent patients.
- Zacks
Why Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
Dividends are one of the best benefits to being a shareholder, but finding a great dividend stock is no easy task. Does Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) have what it takes? Let's find out.
- Motley Fool
3 Top Dividend Aristocrats to Buy Now
Add these three stocks with proven success to your portfolio for steady income over the long term.
- Zacks
Pacira (PCRX) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
Pacira (PCRX) rides high on both earnings and revenue beat in the second quarter of 2019. Moreover, Exparel drives year-over-year growth.
- Investor's Business Daily
Johnson & Johnson Is A Massive Pharma Stock — But Should You Buy It?
JNJ stock tried to break out in June. But several lawsuits claiming Johnson & Johnson baby powder caused cancer are weighing on shares. So, is the Dow Jones component a buy right now?
- PR Newswire
Johnson & Johnson to Participate in Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. , Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will participate in the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference on Thursday, September 5 th , at the InterContinental, ...
- PR Newswire
Johnson & Johnson to Participate in the Wells Fargo Securities 2019 Healthcare Conference
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. , Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will participate in the 14 th Annual Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference on Thursday, September 5 th , at The Westin ...
- Zacks
Perrigo (PRGO) Beats on Q2 Earnings and Sales, Stock Up
Perrigo (PRGO) reports encouraging second-quarter 2019 results. The Rx segment recovers on strong new product sales.
GlobeNewswireYield Growth Corp Provides Mid-Year 2019 Corporate Update
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE:BOSS) (BOSQF) (YG3.F) is pleased to announce its second quarter investor highlights. More than 130 retail locations have signed on to carry Urban Juve products in Canada and the US. Yield Growth signed an agreement on June 12, 2019 with Melorganics , who will act as the exclusive retail distributor and non-exclusive e-commerce distributor for Urban Juve products in Greece and Cyprus.
- TipRanks
4 Defensive Stocks to Weather Trade-War Volatility
Bellicose words and hawkish trade policy have turned into a larger skirmish in the simmering trade war. US President Trump on Thursday tweeted that he would impose new tariffs on Chinese imports starting September 1. The tariffs, set at 10% on some $250 billion in Chinese products, will target consumer goods, including electronics. In response, China allowed the yuan to drop past 7 to the dollar – its weakest in over a decade – a reversal of the government’s usual policy of currency support. China’s government shrugged off Trump’s accusations of currency manipulation, and in today’s trading has set the yuan at a slightly stronger rate.Markets, of course, have reacted, with the Dow Jones losing 5.4% and the S&P 500 losing 5.6% between July 30 and August 5. Both indexes showed modest gains on August 6, and still show strong gains year-to-date.Here, we’ll look at four stocks well-positioned to weather trade-war induced volatility. All are buy-rated, all have recently beaten their earnings estimates, and top analysts have noted paths forward for each of them. And all four fit one of Warren Buffett’s favorite criteria for choosing stocks: “Only invest in simple businesses that you understand.” Coca-Cola Company (KO)We’ll start with the world’s most recognized soft drink, Coca-Cola. Coke is definitely a simple business, in the sense that Buffett meant; even though it markets more than 500 branded products, the company has kept its product line focused steadfastly on bottled beverages. By keeping strictly to a sector it knows and does well, Coke has built a powerful brand and a loyal customer base.On July 23, the company reported 63 cents EPS, beating the forecast by 1.6%. Reported revenues, $10 billion, were just above the expected $9.99 billion. KO shares broke above $54 after the earnings release, and still remains near that all-time high. Year-to-date, KO is up 10.4%.Writing after the earnings report, William Chappell of SunTrust Robinson noted the earnings beat and rising revenues, and said, “The company's strong organic sales trends will continue for the balance of the year based on its anticipated investments and momentum in its markets, with more benign FX conditions in 2020 also relieving some of the headwinds of 2019.” He boosted his price target to $60, to go along with his Buy rating. His target indicates confidence in a 14% upside for KO.RBC Capital’s Nik Modi also sees strength in KO, writing, “The company is executing well against its strategy to becoming a total beverage company—driving both organic revenue and earnings per growth.” Modi sees the company’s near- to mid-term earnings growth remaining in the mid- to high-single digit range. In line with this upbeat outlook, he sets a $60 target on the stock.Overall, Coke’s stock maintains a Moderate Buy rating, based on an even split of 6 buys and 6 holds over the past three months. The current share price is $52.27; as mentioned above, this is close to the stock’s all-time high. The average price target, $57.18, suggests an upside of 9.39% for KO. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)The consumer health giant offers us an interesting study. It’s a market leader in home health products, and also manufactures a variety of prescription drugs. Both business segments are profitable and tend to outperform the market; yet JNJ is only up 1.33% year-to-date, and the stock has slipped 7% since mid-July. The company’s fortunes are balanced between last month’s strong second-quarter earnings and a series of legal actions that have investors worried.For Q2, JNJ reported a 4.8% earnings beat, with EPS of $2.58 per share against the forecast $2.46. This was a 42% year-over-year gain. Revenues were also beat expectations, by 1.3%, and came in at $20.56 billion for the quarter. That was the good news.The bad news – the legal worries – concerns a set of ongoing issues, on the company’s talcum powder and possible liability exposure to the opioid epidemic, that have been dogging JNJ since last year. Investors are concerned based on the size of potential judgements against the company. BMO analyst Joanne Wuensch addressed the legal cases in her review of the stock two months ago. She said, “Litigation is a common occurrence in the health care sector that takes significant time to resolve, and often headlines are worse than reality.” Believing that JNJ has plenty of underlying strength to fall back on, she gives the stock a $157 price target and a 20% upside.Five-star analyst Jayson Bedford, writing from Raymond James, agrees with Wuensch’s assessment of JNJ stock. He says, “There is still plenty of drama ahead for Johnson & Johnson investors in the near term, but the company has solid fundamentals and the stock has an attractive valuation.” While upbeat, Bedford’s price target is more cautious, at $146, but still implies an upside of 11.6%.While Johnson & Johnson shows the most near-term weakness of the stocks in this list, it also shows the highest longer-term potential. JNJ shares have a 15% upside, based on a share price of $130 and an average price target of $151. The moderate buy rating is based on 4 buys and 3 holds from the past three months. Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW)Best known for its line of paints, Sherwin-Williams is the leading provider of paints and coating for the industrial and construction sectors. The company pleased investors and analysts last month, when its Q2 EPS of $6.57 beat the forecast by 3.5%. The beat was especially welcome after SHW missed earnings in the previous quarter.Wall Street’s analysts were quick to pick up on SHW’s performance. Writing from RBC Capital, Arun Viswanathan said, “The quarter was driven by strong execution in its North America retail market and a favorable backlog of delayed projects. The company's comps growth of 4.3% topped our forecast of 3% thanks to the higher sales volume and an increase in selling prices.” Viswanathan increased his price target by 6.3%, to $550, indicating a 10% upside for SHW.Susquehanna analyst Don Carson looked at Sherwin-Williams’ forward potential, and wrote, “We have increased confidence in the outlook for strong earnings growth in 2020 given strong Paint Stores Group sales growth in the face of adverse weather which underscores the potential for further margin expansion from falling raw material costs.” Carson’s $580 price target suggests a 16% upside potential for the stock.SHW’s analyst consensus rating of Moderate Buy is based on 7 buys and 4 holds assigned in recent months. Shares are pricey, at $498, but the high share price means the modest dividend yield of 0.91% pays out $4.52 per share annualized. The average price target, $531, implies a 6.58% upside for this stock. Waste Management, Inc. (WM)Our last stock here is also probably the strongest on this list. Waste Management’s 30% year-to-date gain is more than double the S&P 500’s 15%. In addition, Waste Management has consistently beaten the quarterly earnings expectations, and its last report was no exception. The $1.11 EPS was 3.7% higher than the $1.07 forecast, and the $3.95 billion in quarterly revenue was significantly higher than the year-ago quarter’s $3.74 billion.Waste Management’s secret to consistent outperformance is in its name: the company is North America’s largest provider of garbage collection and recycling services. Like Johnson & Johnson, Waste Management leads in a business segment that will always have ready customers. It is a classic defensive stock.The markets top analysts were predictably upbeat after the earnings report. Two analysts – Patrick Brown, from Raymond James, and Derek Spronck, from RBC Capital – both issued increased price targets for WM. Brown raised his to $127, and Spronck set his at $126. At the same time, Scotiabank analyst Mark Neville opened coverage on the stock, with a Buy rating and an aggressive price target of $130. Neville’s target implies an upside potential of 12% for WM shares.The analyst consensus on WM is a Moderate Buy. The stock has received 4 buys and 2 holds in the past three months. Shares are selling for $116, so the $124 price target gives them an upside of 7.3%.
- Motley Fool
3 Stocks You Can Set and Forget
Buy these three companies for a no-stress approach to investing.
