New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), researches, develops, manufactures, and sells healthcare products across the innovative medicine and medtech sectors. With a market cap of $655.4 billion, the company offers prescription pharmaceuticals, diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, and medical devices. The healthcare giant is expected to announce its fiscal third-quarter earnings for 2026 before the market opens on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Ahead of the event, analysts expect Johnson & Johnson to report a profit of $2.96 per share on a diluted basis, up 5.7% from $2.80 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has consistently surpassed Wall Street’s EPS estimates in its last four quarterly reports.
For the full year, analysts expect Johnson & Johnson to report EPS of $11.61, up 7.6% from $10.79 in fiscal 2025. Its EPS is expected to rise 10.5% year over year to $12.83 in fiscal 2027.
JNJ stock has outperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 15.7% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up 51.3% during this period. Similarly, it outperformed the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLV) 26.4% gains over the same time frame.
JNJ has outpaced the broader market as robust growth in its Innovative Medicine division, sustained MedTech momentum, and improving full-year earnings expectations have renewed investor confidence. A key driver of this optimism is the milestone FDA De Novo authorization for its OTTAVA™ Robotic Surgical System, the world’s first table-integrated soft tissue robotic platform cleared for multiple general surgery procedures. By securing regulatory clearance across high-volume surgeries like gastric bypass, gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, and hernia repairs, JNJ significantly strengthens its competitive position in the rapidly expanding soft-tissue robotics market, complementing steady pharmaceutical top-line gains to reinforce long-term earnings growth.
Analysts’ consensus opinion on JNJ stock is reasonably bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Out of 25 analysts covering the stock, 14 advise a “Strong Buy” rating, three suggest a “Moderate Buy,” and eight give a “Hold.” JNJ’s average analyst price target is $281.08, indicating a potential upside of 3.4% from the current levels.