12 Best Dogs of the Dow to Invest in

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8. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Dividend Yield as of December 16: 2.49%

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is one of the best dogs of the Dow to invest in.

On December 15, BofA raised its price target on Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) to $220 from $204. The firm kept a Neutral rating. The firm says J&J’s premium multiple “looks appropriate for its growth plus asset mix.” It is now valuing the stock based on a new FY27 EPS estimate.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has already had a big year. Shares are up more than 45% in 2025. However, things turned a bit on December 12, when a California jury awarded $40m to two women who said Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. The case was heard in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

The jury awarded $18m to Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz and her husband received $22m. Jurors said the company knew for years that its talc-based products were dangerous and did not warn consumers.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) says it will fight the decision. Erik Haas, the company’s worldwide vice-president of litigation, said J&J plans to “immediately appeal this verdict and expect to prevail as we typically do with aberrant adverse verdicts.”

This case is part of a much larger wave. Court filings show more than 67,000 plaintiffs have sued J&J, claiming cancer diagnoses tied to baby powder and other talc products. The company maintains that its products are safe, asbestos-free, and do not cause cancer. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020. It switched to a cornstarch version instead.

Away from the lawsuits, the business itself hasn’t changed much. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) remains a global healthcare heavyweight. Its focus sits squarely on Innovative Medicine and MedTech, spanning oncology, immunology, surgical tools, and steady investment in R&D and global health work.

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