New York, Feb 16, 2026, 16:54 EST — Market has wrapped up for the day.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) could draw fresh attention on Tuesday as trading picks up, following a Pennsylvania jury’s verdict late last week that found the company liable in an ovarian cancer case tied to its talc products. U.S. stock markets are shut Monday for Presidents Day. (AP News)
This latest talc ruling lands right where Johnson & Johnson always feels it—legal exposure threatening to reshape settlement expectations. Even for investors who see J&J as a reliable, dividend machine, new courtroom twists like this can move the stock, product sales aside.
The news drops into a silent market. U.S. trading is closed Monday, so positioning won’t be revealed until Tuesday’s open, when traders will have to decide if the award is just background noise—or something that hints at more aggressive juries in the future.
JNJ finished Friday at $243.45, slipping 0.45%. After the bell, shares pointed up to $244.74. Session lows and highs came in at $242.61 and $244.95, per Investing.com data. (Investing)
The family of Gayle Emerson will receive $250,000 from the jury—$200,000 of that tagged as punitive damages, intended to penalize the defendant rather than make up for losses. J&J’s global litigation chief, Erik Haas, responded with plans for an appeal, saying, “This token verdict reflects the jury’s appreciation that the claims were meritless and divorced from the science.” J&J maintains its talc products are asbestos-free and safe. Court records put the tally of lawsuits related to talc at more than 67,000. (Reuters)
The talc battle isn’t limited to courtrooms. Smith Law Firm, representing 11,500 talc plaintiffs, has launched a lawsuit against its own litigation funders, claiming the lenders withheld $30 million from a loan as part of a “loan to own” plan to grab value from the firm’s portfolio of talc cases. The lenders haven’t responded to requests for comment from Reuters. The lawsuit again highlights the “Texas two-step,” a tactic where a company spins off liabilities into a new entity that then files for bankruptcy. (Reuters)
J&J shareholders are left wondering if Friday’s verdict shifts the tone for upcoming cases or just registers as one more chapter in a drawn-out battle. A modest award? That could be read as manageable—or, just as easily, it might embolden additional plaintiffs to move forward.
Legal results rarely come in a straight line, and appeals can drag things out. If verdicts start cutting against the company, or if courts let juries see more evidence, that could shake up projections on both the total payout and the time frame.
Away from legal battles, income-focused investors are watching Johnson & Johnson’s $1.30 quarterly dividend, set to go ex-dividend Feb. 24. Payout lands March 10. (Johnson & Johnson Investor Relations)
