New York, February 4, 2026, 14:07 (EST) — Regular session
- J&J shares climbed roughly 1% in afternoon trading, standing out as the broader market slipped.
- RBC bumped up its price target to $255, maintaining an Outperform rating amid ongoing talc litigation concerns
- Investors are eyeing updates from the AF Symposium on Feb. 6 and a TD Cowen presentation set for March 3
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) climbed Wednesday, defying a weaker U.S. equity market as investors favored more stable healthcare stocks. The shares gained $2.40, roughly 1.0%, hitting $235.50 in afternoon trading, having reached $235.82 earlier.
The move stood out, revealing where funds sought refuge amid a risk-off session. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund climbed roughly 1.7%, in contrast to the S&P 500 tracker SPY and the tech-focused QQQ, which slipped about 0.9% and 2.2%, respectively.
RBC Capital Markets raised its price target on the stock Tuesday, from $240 to $255, while maintaining an Outperform rating, analyst Shagun Singh reported. Investor concerns have focused on a Jan. 20 Daubert ruling in the ongoing talc litigation—a judge’s assessment of whether expert testimony is strong enough to present to a jury. RBC noted these cases could drag on for years. Still, the brokerage pointed to Johnson & Johnson’s solid financial footing and improving business operations as buffers against the risk.
Stocks mostly dipped, dragged down by software and cloud companies facing worries that emerging AI tools might disrupt subscription-based business models, Reuters said. Advanced Micro Devices fell after projecting a drop in first-quarter revenue, adding pressure on the Nasdaq.
Johnson & Johnson is scheduling investor meetings to shift focus back to its drugs and devices, steering clear of court drama. On Monday, the company announced it will present at TD Cowen’s 46th annual healthcare conference on March 3, featuring a management fireside chat at 11:10 a.m. ET.
Johnson & Johnson revealed new real-world data on Monday showing ERLEADA cut the risk of death by 51% compared to darolutamide in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer when neither drug was combined with docetaxel, a chemotherapy agent. This advanced form of prostate cancer still responds to hormone therapy. “These real-world data show the survival benefit of apalutamide versus darolutamide,” said Mehmet Bilen, director at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute. JNJ.com
The analysis looked back at patient records instead of running a direct randomized trial. This approach speeds things up but can introduce more noise. Investors usually hold off until they see clear prescribing trends emerge.
The bigger uncertainty is legal. In January, a court-appointed special master advised allowing plaintiffs to call experts in the federal ovarian-cancer litigation, which now covers over 67,500 cases; Johnson & Johnson continues to deny any connection between their talc products and cancer.
MedTech’s next big move is just around the corner. The company plans to present 11 abstracts at the AF Symposium in Boston. It will also roll out the VARIPULSE Plus update for its pulsed-field ablation system — a catheter-based treatment using electrical energy to target atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. “Evidence-based innovation is the foundation of how we advance arrhythmia care,” said Michael Bodner, group chair of the unit. Johnson & Johnson also announced the full commercial launch of its NUVISION NAV ultrasound catheter. Plus, a late-breaking OMNY-AF pilot study is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET. JNJ.com
