Johnson & Johnson

New York, March 2, 2026, 15:28 EST — Regular session

• Johnson & Johnson shares slipped about 0.2% in afternoon trade
• FDA finalized three Class I recalls for certain Impella RP heart pumps after reports of sensor drift and 22 injuries
• A court fight over who leads parts of J&J’s talc litigation is back in focus ahead of a management appearance Tuesday

Johnson & Johnson shares edged down on Monday afternoon, trading at $247.98, as investors weighed fresh U.S. device-recall notices and another twist in the company’s long-running talc litigation. The stock traded between $247.07 and $248.91, while the broad market was roughly flat.

The move mattered less than the mix of risks hitting the tape. Traders are trying to separate what is a contained device “correction” from issues that can spread — and, at the same time, keep an eye on legal developments that can change the cadence of settlements and trials.

The latest pressure point is Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s Impella RP heart-pump line. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized three recalls for Impella RP, Impella RP with SmartAssist and Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist devices after malfunctioning differential pressure (dP) sensors were found to potentially produce inaccurate readings, Cardiovascular Business reported. The publication said the recalls were classified as Class I — the FDA’s most serious category, meaning there is a risk of serious injury or death if updated instructions are not followed — and tied the issue to 22 injuries with no deaths. 1

The FDA’s recall database shows the notices were posted on Feb. 27 and list actions that do not require devices to be returned. Abiomed, the maker acquired by J&J, told customers they could continue using affected units while monitoring patients with approved diagnostic tools, verifying pump positioning with imaging and relying on flow-rate ranges in the instructions for use rather than on-screen readings from the controller. 2

An FDA early alert in February described the problem as “sensor drift” that can cause the Automated Impella Controller to display inaccurate information, including pump flow readings and placement signals. The agency said Abiomed had reported 22 serious injuries and no deaths associated with the issue as of Jan. 15, and noted the sensor does not affect the device’s ability to provide hemodynamic support. 3

In a separate overhang, Bloomberg Law reported the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has scheduled a Tuesday conference to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s bid to disqualify plaintiffs’ firm Beasley Allen from thousands of talc cases, citing an ethics dispute tied to a former J&J lawyer. Erik Haas, J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation, said Beasley Allen’s disqualification “should facilitate—not impede—the progress of this proceeding,” according to the report, which described the broader docket as roughly 70,000 cases. A legal researcher, University of Georgia Law School professor Elizabeth Chamblee, said J&J “clearly” sees Beasley Allen “as a hindrance.” 4

Healthcare stocks were softer overall. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund was down about 1.2%, with Abbott Laboratories off about 1.5% and Medtronic up about 0.4% — leaving J&J in the middle of the pack on the day.

But the path can still fork. Device-safety issues that look narrow can widen through additional FDA action, new injury reports or hospital usage changes, and legal fights can drag out timelines even when the headline sounds like it could “clear the air.”

What investors are watching next is Tuesday’s scheduled appearance by Johnson & Johnson management at the TD Cowen Annual Health Care Conference, set for 11:10 a.m. Eastern, for any read-through on MedTech risk controls and the litigation backdrop. 5