Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) ended Tuesday’s session lower and traded narrowly after the closing bell as investors digested a fresh—and record-size—legal headline tied to the company’s long-running talc litigation. With U.S. markets heading into a holiday-shortened session on Wednesday, December 24, the near-term setup is as much about liquidity and headline risk as it is about fundamentals.
Johnson & Johnson stock price after the bell today
JNJ finished regular trading on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at roughly $205.7, down about 0.8% on the day. In extended trading, the stock was little changed to modestly higher, depending on the data feed—hovering in the mid-$205s to low-$206s during the early evening hours. [1]
That “muted” after-hours tape matters because today’s main story was anything but small: a major jury award in a talc-related cancer case.
The headline moving JNJ today: a record $1.5 billion talc cancer verdict
The key news investors were reacting to on Dec. 23 was Reuters’ report that a Baltimore jury ordered Johnson & Johnson and related entities to pay more than $1.5 billion to plaintiff Cherie Craft, who alleged decades of exposure to asbestos in talc-based products caused peritoneal mesothelioma. Jurors found J&J, two subsidiaries, and spinoff Kenvue liable for failing to warn her that the baby powder contained asbestos, according to the report. [2]
Reuters detailed that the award included $59.84 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages totaling $1.5 billion (split between Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary Pecos River Talc). Johnson & Johnson said it would appeal, calling the verdict “egregious” and “unconstitutional,” while reiterating its position that its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos. [3]
The company still faces litigation on a massive scale: Reuters reported more than 67,000 plaintiffs remain in talc-related cases, and noted that prior attempts to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy settlements have been rejected by courts. Reuters also reiterated that J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020 and globally in 2023, moving to cornstarch-based alternatives. [4]
Why the market’s reaction wasn’t more dramatic
For many investors, talc has been a long-standing, well-telegraphed overhang—so the day’s price move looked like repricing at the margin rather than a full-blown reassessment of the company. At the same time, a record punitive award can affect sentiment because it can:
- raise perceived “tail risk” for future jury trials,
- influence settlement expectations across the docket,
- and keep the legal story in the headlines into 2026.
What to watch before the stock market opens tomorrow
Tomorrow isn’t a normal trading day—and that’s the first thing JNJ investors should have on their radar.
1) Christmas Eve is an early-close session
U.S. stock markets will close early at 1:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, ahead of Christmas Day (Dec. 25), when markets are closed. [5]
Why this matters for JNJ: early-close sessions often bring thin liquidity and larger price moves from smaller orders, especially if a major headline breaks premarket or mid-morning.
2) Premarket and after-hours can amplify headline-driven swings
Extended-hours trading exists outside the core 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET session, and major venues describe increased volatility and lower liquidity as typical features of these windows. That’s especially relevant for a stock like JNJ when the catalyst is litigation news—an area where updates can drop at unpredictable times. [6]
3) The “next headline” risk is real in talc litigation
Going into Wednesday’s open, investors will be watching for:
- any post-verdict legal filings or comments,
- signals about the appeal timeline and whether the punitive damages could be reduced,
- and any read-through to future trial schedules and settlement posture.
In other words: the market may treat tomorrow as a headline tape rather than a fundamental tape.
Today’s forecasts: what Wall Street’s price targets imply now
As of today’s snapshot, MarketBeat’s aggregation showed:
- a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating based on 27 analyst ratings,
- an average 12‑month price target of $210.25,
- with a high target of $240 and low target of $153. [7]
At around the mid‑$205 level, that consensus implies low-single-digit upside on average—while the unusually wide range between low and high targets underscores how differently analysts can frame risks like litigation exposure, product-cycle durability, and margin trajectory. [8]
Today’s technical analysis: momentum looks cautious into the holiday session
Technical readouts published late today leaned defensive. Investing.com’s end-of-day technical dashboard showed:
- a 14‑day RSI around 37.9 (flagged as “Sell” on that screen),
- a “Strong Sell” summary on shorter timeframes,
- and a moving-average mix that was more negative in the near term (e.g., 50‑day MA above price) while still showing some longer-term support signals (e.g., 200‑day MA near the low‑$204s). [9]
In plain English: after today’s drop, JNJ looked closer to “oversold” than “overbought,” but the technical posture still reflects caution—consistent with a market trying to handicap legal uncertainty. [10]
The broader market backdrop today: risk-on tone, but JNJ lagged
U.S. equities generally pushed higher on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 closing at a record as technology names led gains and investors reacted to a batch of economic data including a 4.3% annualized Q3 GDP reading. [11]
That context matters because JNJ’s decline was less about broad risk appetite and more about idiosyncratic company risk—specifically, litigation. [12]
One more date investors should keep on the calendar
While it’s not tomorrow’s catalyst, J&J has already scheduled its next major corporate checkpoint: the company said it will host its investor conference call to review fourth‑quarter results at 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, with the earnings press release expected earlier that morning. [13]
Bottom line for JNJ heading into Wednesday, Dec. 24
After the bell on Dec. 23, Johnson & Johnson stock steadied in extended trading after a down day that was dominated by a record talc verdict headline. Before the market opens on Christmas Eve, investors’ checklist is straightforward:
- expect potentially exaggerated moves due to a holiday early close and thin liquidity, [14]
- keep attention on talc litigation follow-through (appeal strategy, additional filings, and any new case developments), [15]
- and weigh the stock’s modest consensus upside against the fact that legal outcomes can change the narrative quickly. [16]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.nasdaq.com, 6. www.nasdaq.com, 7. www.marketbeat.com, 8. www.marketbeat.com, 9. www.investing.com, 10. www.investing.com, 11. apnews.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.jnj.com, 14. www.nyse.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.marketbeat.com
