Johnson & Johnson Management Meetings Leave UBS Reiterating Stock As A Top Pick

After spending the day with Johnson & Johnson JNJ CEO Alex Gorsky, UBS analysts have reiterated a Buy on the company and called the stock one of the bank's top picks.

“We came away from our day of meetings with JNJ Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky with greater conviction in our bullish view on the company’s prospects for sustained Pharmaceutical growth, stable Medical Device and improving consumer,” said UBS analyst Mike Miksic.

With a solid pipeline to sustain above-market pharma growth, Johnson & Johnson's management remains confident in key growth drivers Darzalex and Imbruvica, as well as expanding indications for Xarelto and Stelara. 

These significant growth opportunities are seen as “more than adequate to offset continued but thus-far gradual declines in Remicade and disappointing performance of Invokana,” according to Miksic.

UBS believes that Wall Street does not fully recognize the value of the company’s pipeline and sees the recent pullback from July highs as an attractive buying opportunity.

UBS has a $148 price target on Johnson and Johnson.