Why Johnson & Johnson stock is up today: new Varipulse Plus update puts AFib data back in play

Why Johnson & Johnson stock is up today: new Varipulse Plus update puts AFib data back in play

New York, Feb 3, 2026, 13:08 EST — Regular session

  • Shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) climbed roughly 1.4% to $233.87 during afternoon trading
  • MedTech update highlights new pulsed-field ablation and imaging innovations ahead of AF Symposium
  • Key upcoming dates: Omny-AF pilot presentation set for Feb. 6; ex-dividend date falls on Feb. 24

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) shares climbed roughly 1.4% Tuesday following an initial drop, boosted by the company’s newest update on its heart device. The stock traded at $233.87 in the afternoon, bouncing between $230.00 and $235.24 earlier in the session.

This shift is crucial as investors seek confirmation that Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech division can keep expanding its growth trajectory without faltering on execution. Cardiac devices tend to be sticky—hospitals rarely switch once they settle on a standard, given the high costs and hassle involved.

Trading desks are keyed in on this week’s AF Symposium in Boston against that backdrop. Pulsed field ablation, or PFA, delivers short electrical pulses—avoiding heat—to target the tissue responsible for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm.

Johnson & Johnson announced a VARIPULSE Plus platform update featuring automated irrigation flow. It’s also launching the full commercial version of its NUVISION NAV ultrasound catheter, now integrated with the CARTO 3 mapping system. “Evidence-based innovation is the foundation of how we advance arrhythmia care,” said Michael Bodner, group chair of its MedTech unit. The company plans to present a late-breaking Omny-AF pilot study on Friday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 p.m. ET. (Jnj)

The company also highlighted presentations examining workflow and irrigation tweaks tied to neurovascular events like strokes, alongside data on real-world safety and efficiency. In this niche of medtech, such details can shift sentiment quickly.

Peers are on the move as well. Medtronic announced Tuesday it plans to acquire CathWorks in a deal valued at up to $585 million, signaling a bet on heart devices amid growing demand for advanced diagnostic and treatment tools. (Reuters)

Competition in PFA is heating up. Abbott snagged U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Volt PFA system in December, joining Boston Scientific and several others already competing in the U.S. market. (MedTech Dive)

Conference updates can swing both ways. Any fresh safety concerns or slower adoption than expected would dent forecasts for a business still scaling up. The litigation cloud over Johnson & Johnson remains. Last week, Michael Shipp threw out a lawsuit accusing J&J of fraud tied to its talc bankruptcy approach, but the company still faces tens of thousands of talc-related cancer lawsuits. (Reuters)

Income-focused investors are watching the dividend calendar closely: Johnson & Johnson announced a $1.30 per share quarterly dividend, set to be paid on March 10. The stock will trade ex-dividend on February 24. (Jnj)

Traders are eyeing Friday’s Omny-AF pilot update at 5:30 p.m. ET as the next key catalyst. Any unexpected news could ripple through next week’s trading session.

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