Published: December 12, 2025
Johnson & Johnson stock (NYSE: JNJ) is ending the week in the spotlight as shares hover near record territory, helped by a steady stream of analyst target updates, fresh late-stage clinical data disclosures, and a clearer roadmap for portfolio reshaping heading into 2026.
As of 14:33 UTC on Dec. 12, 2025, JNJ shares traded at $210.50, up 0.23% on the day, after opening near $210.89 and trading between $208.50 and $210.89.
JNJ stock price today: near a record after Thursday’s all-time high close
JNJ is coming off a notable milestone: Yahoo Finance historical data shows JNJ closed at $210.01 on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, with an intraday high of $211.24. [1] That close is widely referenced as an all-time high close for the stock. [2]
This context matters because it frames today’s analyst debate: at roughly $210 per share, J&J is trading close to (or above) many “average” targets—while still below the most bullish calls.
The biggest JNJ stock news on Dec. 12, 2025: Wall Street price targets move again
The most immediate “today” catalyst for JNJ stock is a new round of analyst target adjustments reported early Friday:
- Wells Fargo raised its price target to $230 from $212, keeping an Overweight rating (published Dec. 12). [3]
- Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $197 from $190, reiterating an Equalweight rating (published Dec. 12). [4]
Just behind those Friday updates, multiple firms moved their targets earlier this week:
- RBC lifted its target to $230 from $209 (dated Dec. 11). [5]
- MarketScreener’s MT Newswires roundup also lists Citigroup raising to $232 from $215 and HSBC raising to $240 from $215 in recent December notes. [6]
What those targets imply from today’s price
At ~$210.50, a $230 target implies roughly ~9% upside, while $197 implies roughly ~6% downside—a tight spread that underscores how “valuation” is now the core disagreement, not whether J&J is a high-quality business.
Where consensus sits right now
Consensus numbers vary by data provider, but they cluster close to the current share price:
- MarketWatch lists an average target price of $211.23 (with 27 ratings). [7]
- MarketScreener reports JNJ’s average rating as “overweight” and a mean price target of $212.36 (FactSet-polled analysts). [8]
When a mega-cap trades near the consensus target, the next move often depends on new information—earnings revisions, litigation outcomes, M&A, or clinical/regulatory surprises—rather than broad “multiple expansion.”
Why JNJ stock has momentum: strong earnings, raised sales outlook, and a reshaping plan
A key reason analysts have been comfortable lifting targets into year-end is that Johnson & Johnson’s most recent quarterly results reinforced both growth and execution:
- J&J reported Q3 2025 sales of $24.0 billion (+6.8%) and adjusted EPS of $2.80, and it raised its 2025 sales outlook. [9]
- Coverage of those results highlighted raised full-year sales guidance of $93.5–$93.9 billion while maintaining adjusted EPS guidance of $10.80–$10.90. [10]
The strategic catalyst: a planned orthopaedics separation
J&J is also preparing another major portfolio move: it plans to spin off its orthopaedics business (DePuy Synthes) into a standalone company, with an expected timeline of 18–24 months. [11]
For JNJ stock, the investment debate is whether this unlocks value (a simpler “Innovative Medicine + MedTech” story) or creates new execution risk (separation costs, dis-synergies, and investor uncertainty around the new entity).
Pipeline and product catalysts: the late-2025 data flow Wall Street is watching
While “defensive” health care names often trade on earnings stability, J&J’s current run is also being supported by high-impact oncology and hematology updates—particularly around conferences and high-visibility publications.
Here are several recent, company-disclosed items from the past week that help explain why analysts are revisiting models:
1) Multiple myeloma: MajesTEC-3 (TECVAYLI + DARZALEX FASPRO)
J&J disclosed Phase 3 MajesTEC-3 results supporting TECVAYLI plus DARZALEX FASPRO as a potential earlier-line standard of care in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, noting the data were presented at ASH 2025 with simultaneous publication in The New England Journal of Medicine. [12]
2) Multiple myeloma: CARVYKTI (CARTITUDE-4 updated results)
J&J also released updated results from Phase 3 CARTITUDE-4, emphasizing durable “treatment-free” remission dynamics with earlier use of CARVYKTI in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. [13]
3) Bladder cancer: INLEXZO (SunRISe-1)
In urology/oncology, the company reported 74% disease-free survival at one year for INLEXZO in a specific NMIBC setting (BCG-unresponsive, high-risk papillary-only). [14]
4) Lung cancer: MARIPOSA Asia population (RYBREVANT + LAZCLUZE)
J&J announced final overall survival results from the Asia patient population of the Phase 3 MARIPOSA study, highlighting an overall survival benefit for the RYBREVANT + LAZCLUZE combination in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. [15]
Why this matters for JNJ stock forecasts: in large-cap pharma, a steady cadence of late-stage “wins” can help offset erosion elsewhere (for example, competition and lifecycle pressures on older blockbusters) and support confidence in longer-dated growth assumptions.
JNJ dividend update: a fresh payment and a yield investors still track
Dividend investors have another timely reference point this week:
- J&J declared a $1.30 per share quarterly dividend for Q4 2025, payable Dec. 9, 2025, with a record and ex-dividend date of Nov. 25, 2025. [16]
- The company previously raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 (from $1.24), an increase that was widely covered earlier in 2025. [17]
At today’s price (~$210.50), an annualized dividend of $5.20 implies a yield of roughly ~2.5% (approximate), consistent with third-party trackers in late 2025. [18]
The bear case for Johnson & Johnson stock: litigation overhang and policy uncertainty
Even as JNJ trades near highs, two risk buckets remain central to any balanced outlook.
1) Talc litigation continues to cast a long shadow
Johnson & Johnson’s talc-related litigation has produced major headlines in 2025, including:
- A U.S. bankruptcy judge rejecting a proposed talc settlement plan involving a J&J unit earlier in the year. [19]
- A large jury verdict in a talc case reported in October 2025. [20]
- A report that U.K. lawsuits have been filed by former baby powder users. [21]
Markets can live with “known risk,” but litigation headlines can still create sudden volatility—especially if investors begin to model higher cash outflows or prolonged uncertainty.
2) Drug pricing and geopolitical policy (including tariffs)
Earlier in 2025, J&J leadership commented publicly on tariffs and manufacturing incentives, and management has also discussed tariff-related costs in prior earnings coverage. [22] While policy outcomes are hard to forecast, they remain part of the “macro risk” framework applied to large U.S. pharma and medtech firms.
Johnson & Johnson stock forecast: what matters between now and January 2026
With the stock near record levels, the next set of catalysts is unusually clear on the calendar.
J&J will present at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference (Jan. 12, 2026)
Johnson & Johnson confirmed it will present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in a “fireside chat” format with a webcast. [23]
Next earnings: Q4 results date noted as Jan. 21, 2026
In company communications about its earnings schedule, J&J noted the fourth-quarter date of Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. [24]
Between the conference and earnings, investors will be looking for:
- updates on the orthopaedics separation timeline and structure,
- any further pipeline readouts or regulatory updates following the late-2025 conference season,
- and clarity on litigation trajectory and cash-flow implications.
A small but notable “today” filing headline: institutional ownership activity
One additional Dec. 12 item circulating is institutional-filing coverage: MarketBeat reports the Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its stake by 94,957 shares (based on a 13F filing for the second quarter). [25]
This type of headline rarely moves megacap stocks by itself, but it can reinforce the narrative that long-only institutions remain comfortable holding J&J through both pipeline cycles and litigation noise.
Bottom line for JNJ stock on Dec. 12, 2025
Johnson & Johnson stock is trading like a “quality compounder” again—near record highs, with analysts actively recalibrating targets and the company supplying a steady stream of late-stage clinical data. Today’s price-target split (some in the $230–$240 range, others closer to $197) captures the market’s key tension: how much investors should pay for a de-risked mega-cap that still carries litigation and policy uncertainty.
With JPMorgan Healthcare Conference (Jan. 12, 2026) and Q4 earnings (Jan. 21, 2026) approaching, the next leg for JNJ shares will likely hinge on whether management can sustain upward revisions to sales and pipeline confidence—without fresh negative surprises from courtrooms or Washington.
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. www.macrotrends.net, 3. www.marketscreener.com, 4. www.marketscreener.com, 5. www.marketscreener.com, 6. www.marketscreener.com, 7. www.marketwatch.com, 8. www.marketscreener.com, 9. www.investor.jnj.com, 10. www.wsj.com, 11. apnews.com, 12. www.jnj.com, 13. www.jnj.com, 14. www.jnj.com, 15. www.jnj.com, 16. www.jnj.com, 17. www.investopedia.com, 18. stockanalysis.com, 19. apnews.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.marketwatch.com, 23. www.jnj.com, 24. www.investor.jnj.com, 25. www.marketbeat.com
