New York, February 20, 2026, 19:02 EST — After-hours
- Johnson & Johnson shares closed down 1.8% on Friday at $242.49, bucking a higher broader market.
- A report that J&J is weighing options for its DePuy Synthes orthopedics business kept attention on portfolio moves.
- Next near-term dates include the Feb. 24 ex-dividend and management appearances at health-care investor conferences in early March.
Johnson & Johnson shares fell 1.8% on Friday, closing at $242.49 after swinging between $246.90 and $240.43 in the session. About 13.6 million shares changed hands.
The drop came on a day when the wider market finished higher, with the S&P 500 up about 0.7% and the Dow gaining about 0.5%. For J&J investors, the key issue now is whether a strategic move turns into something real, and how fast. (AP News)
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday that J&J is preparing a potential sale of its DePuy Synthes orthopedics unit in a deal that could top $20 billion, with private equity firms seen as the most likely buyers. DePuy generated $9.3 billion in 2025 sales, and J&J had said it planned to separate the business within 18 to 24 months; CFO Joe Wolk has called a “tax-free spinoff” the primary path while staying open to other options. (Reuters)
J&J also gave investors fresh spending plans this week, saying it will invest more than $1 billion to build a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, as drugmakers move production onshore ahead of tariffs. The U.S. government imposed a 100% tariff on branded drugs in October but said it would apply only to producers that had not already broken ground, and J&J did not disclose when the new plant would begin operations. (Reuters)
“We are honored to continue advancing that legacy in Pennsylvania,” Chief Executive Joaquin Duato said in the company’s announcement. Governor Josh Shapiro called Pennsylvania “a powerhouse for innovation and manufacturing in the life sciences.” (Jnj)
Another near-term marker is February 24, the ex-dividend date — the first day a buyer no longer gets the next payout. J&J has said it will pay a $1.30-a-share quarterly dividend on March 10 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24. (Jnj)
But the next leg is not clean. J&J still faces large talc-related litigation, and a Pennsylvania jury this month found the company liable in a talc baby powder ovarian-cancer case; J&J has said it will appeal. (Reuters)
With U.S. markets shut until Monday, traders will be looking for any hint that the DePuy process is more than early-stage prep — or that the company is leaning back toward a spinoff instead of a sale. Either way, the stock is likely to trade on headlines, not the tape.
Management is scheduled to speak at two health-care investor conferences in early March: TD Cowen on March 3 at 11:10 a.m. Eastern and Barclays on March 10 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, both via webcast. (Jnj)
The next hard catalyst after that is J&J’s first-quarter results call, set for April 14. (Jnj)
