Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
You can invest in Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) by buying shares or fractional shares at any major broker, through an ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. JNJ is a defensive healthcare blue chip, not a growth name: a diversified leader split between Innovative Medicine (oncology, immunology, neuroscience drugs) and MedTech (cardiovascular, orthopedics, surgery, vision), after spinning off consumer health as Kenvue. It competes with Pfizer, Merck, Medtronic, and Abbott, and is a Dividend King prized for stability and income.
JNJ stock price
As of 2026-07-24, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) last closed at $263.40, up 56.5% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $164.74 and $267.24.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Johnson & Johnson's investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) do?
Johnson & Johnson is one of the world's largest healthcare companies, now focused on two core areas after spinning off its consumer-health business (Kenvue). Its Innovative Medicine segment develops and sells branded prescription drugs across oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiovascular, and other areas, with major franchises that drive much of its profit. Its MedTech segment makes medical devices and surgical equipment for cardiovascular intervention, orthopedics, surgery, and vision care. J&J makes money by researching, manufacturing, and selling patented pharmaceuticals and devices to hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, and patients worldwide, supported by one of the largest research and development budgets in healthcare. The company is known for its diversification, financial strength, AAA-class balance sheet, and a multi-decade record of raising its dividend, making it a classic defensive blue chip. Founded in 1886 and headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, J&J is a broadly held, large-cap healthcare company valued for stability, income, and a deep drug and device pipeline.
What's driving Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)?
1. Innovative Medicine pipeline.
J&J invests heavily in research and development across oncology, immunology, and neuroscience, with a deep pipeline of new drugs and label expansions intended to offset patents that expire over time. Key growth franchises and newer launches aim to replace revenue from maturing products. Its scale lets it pursue multiple high-value therapeutic areas at once, supporting durable pharmaceutical growth if the pipeline delivers.
2. MedTech innovation and recovery.
The MedTech segment benefits from rising surgical and procedure volumes and from innovation in areas like electrophysiology (treating heart-rhythm disorders), robotic surgery, orthopedics, and vision. Acquisitions have strengthened its cardiovascular and intervention offerings. As elective procedures grow with aging populations and J&J modernizes its device portfolio, MedTech provides a second growth engine that diversifies away from drug-patent cycles.
3. Defensive blue-chip stability.
J&J is a defensive, diversified healthcare leader with a fortress balance sheet, strong free cash flow, and a long record of consecutive annual dividend increases (a Dividend King). Healthcare demand is relatively recession-resistant, and J&J's breadth across drugs and devices smooths results. For conservative investors, the combination of stability, income, and financial strength is the core appeal across market cycles.
What are the risks to Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)?
J&J faces patent expirations on key drugs, including the eventual loss of exclusivity for major franchises, which requires the pipeline to continually replace lost revenue. Drug pricing pressure, including US government negotiation of certain drug prices, can weigh on margins. The company also faces significant legal liability, most notably ongoing litigation related to talc-based products, which has created uncertainty and large potential settlements. MedTech competes in tough device markets and is exposed to hospital budgets and procedure volumes. Regulatory, clinical-trial, and product-safety risks are inherent to healthcare. Growth is steady rather than rapid, so J&J is valued as a defensive compounder rather than a high-growth name.
How is Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) valued? (approximate, early 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Johnson & Johnson's investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$90 billion
- Operating margin: ~25%
- Net income (TTM): ~$15 billion
- P/E (TTM): ~16x
- Revenue growth: low-to-mid single digits
- Dividend yield: ~3%
- Free cash flow: ~$18 billion annually
J&J trades at a valuation typical of a large, defensive healthcare blue chip: a moderate multiple reflecting steady low-to-mid single-digit growth, high margins, and very strong cash generation, plus a discount for litigation and patent-cliff overhangs. The market values its diversification, balance-sheet strength, and long dividend record, pricing it as a stable income-and-quality holding rather than a growth stock.
Which ETFs hold Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)?
If you want JNJ exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.
| ETF | Name | % in JNJ | Expense ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTUM | iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF | 3.06% | 0.15% | |
| DGRO | iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | ~2.5% | 0.08% | |
| USMV | iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | ~1.6% | 0.15% | |
| VTV | Vanguard Value ETF | ~2.2% | 0.04% | |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | ~2.1% | 0.06% | |
| XLV | Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund | ~7% | 0.08% | |
| VHT | Vanguard Health Care ETF | ~9.4% | 0.09% | |
| IWD | iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | ~1.6% | 0.18% | |
| SCHV | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF | ~2.0% | 0.04% |
Who competes with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)?
Branded pharmaceuticals
Competes with large pharma peers like Pfizer, Merck, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche, Novartis, and AstraZeneca across oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.
Medical devices
Competes with Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Stryker, and Intuitive Surgical across cardiovascular, orthopedics, surgery, and other device markets.
How to invest in Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
There are three common ways to get JNJ exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (MTUM, DGRO, USMV), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic basket, so JNJ sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the basket route. Describe a thesis where JNJ fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.
The bottom line on Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is a diversified, fortress-balance-sheet healthcare compounder whose drug pipeline and MedTech portfolio deliver steady low-to-mid single-digit growth and decades of dividend increases. In a portfolio it behaves as a defensive, income-and-quality anchor, with patent cliffs, drug-pricing pressure, and talc litigation as the main overhangs.
More on Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Whether JNJ is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is JNJ a buy?, and where the stock could go from here in the JNJ stock forecast.
For income investors, whether JNJ pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does JNJ pay a dividend?
Build a basket around JNJ with Walnut
Use Johnson & Johnson as one constituent in a thematic basket Walnut's AI helps you assemble. Describe a thesis you believe in, the AI proposes the holdings and weights, and you approve before any broker order.
FAQ
What is JNJ's ticker symbol?
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JNJ, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is Johnson & Johnson. It is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and trades during US market hours at every major US brokerage.
What does Johnson & Johnson do?
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Johnson & Johnson is a large healthcare company with two core segments. Innovative Medicine develops and sells branded prescription drugs in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and other areas. MedTech makes medical devices for cardiovascular intervention, orthopedics, surgery, and vision. It spun off its consumer-health business as Kenvue.
Who are Johnson & Johnson's main competitors?
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In pharmaceuticals: Pfizer, Merck, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche, Novartis, and AstraZeneca. In medical devices: Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Stryker, and Intuitive Surgical. J&J competes across both drugs and devices, which few peers do at its scale.
Is Johnson & Johnson a good dividend stock?
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Descriptive: J&J is a Dividend King with decades of consecutive annual increases, yielding roughly 3% and backed by strong cash flow and a fortress balance sheet, which makes it a staple of income and defensive strategies. Whether it suits an income portfolio depends on your goals. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What is Johnson & Johnson's P/E ratio?
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Approximately 16x trailing twelve months as of early 2026, a moderate multiple for a defensive healthcare blue chip. It reflects steady low-to-mid single-digit growth, high margins, and strong cash flow, with some discount for litigation and patent-expiration overhangs.
What happened with the J&J talc lawsuits?
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J&J faces extensive litigation alleging its talc-based products caused harm. The company has pursued large settlements and bankruptcy-related strategies for the related liabilities, and the situation has evolved through the courts over time. This litigation has created uncertainty and potential large payouts, which is part of why investors track the legal overhang. Specifics change as cases proceed.
Did Johnson & Johnson spin off a company?
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Yes. J&J separated its consumer-health business (brands like Tylenol, Band-Aid, Listerine, and Neutrogena) into a standalone public company called Kenvue. The move left J&J focused on its higher-margin pharmaceutical and medical-device businesses, Innovative Medicine and MedTech.
Which ETFs have the most Johnson & Johnson exposure?
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Healthcare-sector ETFs like XLV and VHT hold JNJ at meaningful weights, and broad funds like VOO, VTI, and SPY include it. Dividend ETFs such as SCHD, NOBL, and various high-dividend funds carry it given its long increase record. Weights vary by fund and over time.
Is Johnson & Johnson in the S&P 500?
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Yes. J&J is a large member of the S&P 500 and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and it is widely held across passive index funds and in dividend and defensive strategies.
Which thematic baskets typically include Johnson & Johnson?
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Healthcare, dividend-growth, and defensive blue-chip baskets on Walnut. JNJ fits themes around diversified healthcare, aging demographics, and durable dividend income, and is often used as a defensive anchor alongside other large-cap healthcare names.
What is Johnson & Johnson's market cap?
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Roughly in the high hundreds of billions of dollars as of early 2026, placing it among the largest healthcare companies in the world. The market cap reflects its diversification, strong cash generation, and defensive blue-chip status despite modest growth.
Is Johnson & Johnson a good stock to buy?
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Descriptive, not a recommendation. J&J is a diversified, defensive healthcare blue chip with high margins, strong cash flow, and a long dividend-growth record, but it faces patent expirations, drug-pricing pressure, and litigation overhangs, and grows only modestly. Whether it fits a portfolio depends on your goals, risk tolerance, and views on healthcare. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Johnson & Johnson's investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.