NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 8:48 PM ET — Market closed
- JNJ shares edged up 0.02% to $206.95 at the close in the final session of 2025.
- Johnson & Johnson closed its $3.05 billion Halda Therapeutics acquisition, flagging a near-term hit to adjusted EPS.
- Barclays lifted its JNJ price target to $217 while keeping a neutral Equal Weight rating ahead of January results.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares eked out a 0.02% gain to $206.95 on Wednesday, a rare green finish as U.S. stocks slipped in the final session of 2025. The S&P 500 fell 0.74% and the Dow lost 0.63%. MarketWatch
The muted close leaves investors searching for a clean catalyst after a strong year for the stock. The next big read comes when management updates guidance and lays out how recent deals will flow through earnings.
That focus sharpened this week after the company said it completed its $3.05 billion all-cash acquisition of Halda Therapeutics, adding a prostate-cancer program and Halda’s RIPTAC platform, a technology designed to target tumor cells. Johnson & Johnson said the deal would reduce adjusted earnings per share — profit per share excluding one-time items — by about $0.20 split between fourth-quarter 2025 results and 2026, and it plans to discuss its 2026 outlook on its Jan. 21 earnings call. “This strategic milestone underscores our commitment to redefining cancer treatment with breakthrough science and transformative medicines,” Jennifer Taubert, head of the company’s Innovative Medicine unit, said. JNJ.com
Halda’s lead asset, HLD-0915, is in clinical development as an oral, once-daily therapy for prostate cancer. Investors will be watching for any early signposts on clinical progress and where the asset fits in Johnson & Johnson’s broader oncology strategy.
Analyst commentary also turned more constructive into year-end. Barclays analyst Matt Miksic raised his price target on the stock to $217 from $197 and kept an Equal Weight rating — shorthand for expecting shares to perform roughly in line with the market — while pointing to prescription data that suggests upside versus consensus fourth-quarter estimates, led by drugs including Darzalex, Tremfya and Simponi. TipRanks+1
Johnson & Johnson stock is up about 43% from its closing level at the end of 2024, leaving little room for disappointment if January guidance comes in cautious. Chase ID Card+1
The Halda purchase was first announced in November as Johnson & Johnson stepped up dealmaking to deepen its oncology pipeline and blunt the impact of looming competition for its blockbuster immune-disease drug Stelara, Reuters reported at the time. The company also agreed earlier this year to buy Intra-Cellular Therapies for $14.6 billion. Reuters
Before the next session: U.S. stock markets are closed on Thursday for the New Year’s Day holiday and reopen on Friday, Jan. 2. MarketWatch
Wall Street enters 2026 after the S&P 500 ended 2025 up about 17%, with the Nasdaq up 21% and the Dow up 14%. Traders are looking to the first wave of quarterly results starting Jan. 13 and the Federal Reserve’s next rate decision on Jan. 28. Barron’s
For Johnson & Johnson, the next checkpoint is whether management’s January guidance reinforces expectations for steady earnings growth as new deals add costs. Investors will also listen for updates on demand trends in the company’s top-selling medicines and any sign of further portfolio moves.
On the chart, JNJ traded in a tight band — about $206.37 to $207.50 on Wednesday — and sits roughly 4% below its 52-week high of $215.19. Traders often treat the $206 area as near-term support and the $215 zone as a potential ceiling. Morningstar
With U.S. markets shut on New Year’s Day, attention shifts quickly to January catalysts. The Halda integration, drug-sales momentum and the tone of 2026 guidance are likely to decide whether the stock can extend its run.
