New York, Feb 4, 2026, 20:43 EST — The market has closed.
- JNJ shares ended 0.6% higher, closing at $234.47, close to the upper end of their recent trading range.
- The FDA issued an early alert regarding specific Abiomed Impella RP heart pumps.
- Traders are now focused on potential FDA updates and new MedTech data scheduled for the AF Symposium on Feb. 6.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares edged up 0.6%, finishing Wednesday at $234.47 after moving between $232.94 and $235.83 during the session. The stock held steady in after-hours trading. (StockAnalysis)
This shift is significant since J&J has been acting like a safe haven stock. When it hovers near its peak, the market usually penalizes bad news faster than it boosts the stock on positive developments.
That adds pressure to the MedTech news. Investors count on the device sector to drive growth, and it takes just a safety alert or a product hold-up to shift sentiment, even if only briefly.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that Abiomed, part of Johnson & Johnson, has issued an urgent medical device correction for certain Impella RP with SmartAssist and Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist heart pumps. The fix addresses a pressure sensor problem causing readings on the Automated Impella Controller to drift. Abiomed has logged 22 serious injuries and no deaths as of Jan. 15, the FDA said. It noted that incorrect display data has sometimes led to wrong adjustments or unnecessary pump swaps, though the sensor issue doesn’t impact the device’s core hemodynamic support function. The FDA labeled this an “early alert,” signaling a potential high-risk problem under review that could lead to a formal recall. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
The broader market showed a mixed picture. The S&P 500 dipped 0.51%, whereas the Dow added 0.53%. In pharma, stocks diverged sharply: Pfizer rose 3.92%, but AbbVie slid 3.79% during the session. (MarketWatch)
J&J last month projected 2026 sales between $99.5 billion and $100.5 billion, with adjusted earnings of $11.43 to $11.63 per share—beating Wall Street’s forecasts. This outlook factors in an anticipated U.S. drug-pricing agreement and about $500 million in tariffs hitting its medical devices segment. CFO Joseph Wolk put the pricing deal’s cost at “hundreds of millions of dollars.” CEO Joaquin Duato told analysts the company expects growth to accelerate in 2026 and envisions “line of sight to double-digit growth” by decade’s end. The firm also warned about biosimilar competition emerging for its psoriasis drug Stelara. (Reuters)
Thursday’s session hinges on whether the Impella issue remains limited to revised use instructions or sparks broader investigation. Traders are closely watching for shifts in the FDA’s stance.
Johnson & Johnson announced on Monday that it will present at TD Cowen’s annual health-care conference on March 3. The company’s management team is set for a fireside chat at 11:10 a.m. ET. (Jnj)
The AF Symposium in Boston wraps up soon. Johnson & Johnson plans to unveil fresh atrial fibrillation (AFib) data and introduce updates to its VARIPULSE Plus pulsed field ablation platform — a newer method that treats irregular heart rhythms using brief electrical pulses instead of heat — along with its NUVISION NAV intracardiac ultrasound catheter. “Evidence-based innovation is the foundation of how we advance arrhythmia care,” said MedTech executive Michael Bodner. The company’s late-breaking Omny-AF pilot study will be presented Friday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET. (Jnj)
