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Johnson & JohnsonJNJBUYApr 05, 2023Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 18, 2026. Market Open.
JNJ offered its shareholders the opportunity to exchange JNJ shares for shares in Kenvue. The exchange was voluntary, and the exchange ratio was 8.03. Since this was an exchange of shares rather than just a pure distribution of the spinoff, the price of JNJ shares should not be as effected, since the company received JNJ shares from its shareholders, and effectively removed them from circulation, similar to a buyback. In effect, this causes the existing shareholders to own a larger piece of JNJ.
JNJ is near the same price where the spinout took place, and some of the price decline in JNJ can be attributed to the broader healthcare sector. If the healthcare sector continues to improve from here, we expect JNJ will also participate in this rally.
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Looking back on 2023: JNJ has one of the best pharma pipelines in the business. However, he sold it because he got tired on their many lawsuits over baby powder (having traces of asbestos, allegedly). Originally, he concluded that the company didn't know about the asbestos, but then the lawsuits piled up. JNJ offered to settle with claimants. He bought this for the fundamentals, but then it became about the settlements amounting to billions. There are easier ways to make money. He eventually sold.
They're having a terrible year, but the PE is now cheap. They sold off their consumer division. Their last quarter they beat earnings: medical devices grew 10% and pharma 4.5%. Will continue to grow. Have a lot of cash. Have raised their dividend for 45 years, which will continue. One issue is their talcum powder [lawsuits over their talcum causing cancer], but they will appeal the ruling. Their psoriasis drug is coming off-patent, but they have enough in their drug pipeline to make up for that.
(Analysts’ price target is $177.43)
A core holding. Great with a AAA credit rating. JNJ is now settling legal claims that its baby powder contained traces of cancer-causing asbestos. JNJ split into consumer goods and pharma. The case kept a lid on JNJ shares, which he saw as a buying opportunity. He kept buying. However, an appeals court blocked that spin-off, and he lost big. However, he held onto JNJ because he believed in it. Last night, JNJ announced a settlement and lifted this huge threat.