6. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) ranks sixth, backed by one of the most recognizable names in global healthcare and a business increasingly focused on pharmaceuticals and medical technology.
After generations of consumers associated the company with everyday healthcare products, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has evolved into a much more concentrated healthcare enterprise. Its investment story now revolves primarily around Innovative Medicine and MedTech, giving the company exposure to cancer treatments, immunology, medical devices and other higher-value areas of healthcare.
Among its important pharmaceutical products are Darzalex, a major treatment in multiple myeloma; Tremfya, which is used for inflammatory conditions including psoriasis and Crohn’s disease; and Rybrevant, an oncology medicine.
Tremfya has become especially important.
CFRA analyst Sel Hardy says the drug is delivering exceptional growth and helping Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) absorb pressure from older immunology products Stelara and Remicade. Both of those established medicines are facing increasing competition, illustrating one of the perpetual challenges facing large pharmaceutical companies: today’s blockbuster eventually becomes tomorrow’s patent-expiration problem.
Successful pharmaceutical companies therefore have to continuously replace yesterday’s winners.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) appears to have several opportunities to do exactly that. Its Innovative Medicine business contains commercial products and pipeline candidates that could support the next stage of growth, while the company’s restructuring strategy is designed to sharpen management’s attention on areas with greater long-term potential.
Hardy also views the planned strategic separation of the orthopedics business as a positive development. The logic is straightforward: a more focused Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) could allocate capital and management resources toward higher-growth markets instead of carrying businesses with different growth profiles under the same structure.
That kind of portfolio simplification has become increasingly common across large healthcare companies as management teams attempt to convince investors that bigger is not always better unless the pieces fit together strategically.
CFRA has a “buy” rating and a $290 price target for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), compared with its July 30 closing price of $255.82. That suggests approximately 13% upside based on the supplied figures.
For investors searching for the best healthcare stocks to buy in 2026, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) offers an interesting middle ground. It has the scale and diversification expected from a defensive blue-chip healthcare stock, but it also has exposure to faster-growing pharmaceutical and medical technology markets.
That combination gives Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) something many companies cannot easily replicate: defensive characteristics, enormous research resources and several potential paths toward future growth.
YOU MUST READ THIS: 10 Best Medicine Stocks That Could Make Investors 100% Richer
Click here to continue reading and checkout the Top 5 Healthcare Stocks to Buy With $1000 in 2026.
Disclosure: No relevant interests to disclose. This article was originally published on BioTech HealthX.
