Johnson & Johnson raises annual sales outlook despite tariff-driven uncertainty

Investing.com - Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has lifted its full-year sales forecast, even as headwinds loom from potential U.S. tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.

The firm said it now expects to post annual sales of $93.2 billion to $93.6 billion, up from a prior estimate of $91 billion to $91.8 billion.

Shares of Johnson & Johnson rose by more than 1% in premarket U.S. trading on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump has suggested that his administration will unveil levies on pharmaceuticals likely by the end of July, beginning with what he has described as a low tariff rate which will give companies enough time to shift their manufacturing operations to the United States. He added that a "very high tariff" will then snap into effect in a year or so.

Johnson & Johnson previously said in the first quarter that, based on the information available at the time, it anticipated a $400 million impact from the tariffs. However, the company has said that, in the wake of a recent framework trade truce between the U.S. and China, the hit is "probably" down to $200 million.

CFO Joseph Wolk has said it remains too early to forecast the effect of the tariffs on 2026 results, Reuters reported.

Yet, despite these headwinds, the drug and medical device group reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.77 in the second quarter, topping analysts’ estimates of $2.68, according LSEG data cited by Reuters.

Sales, meanwhile, rose by 5.8% versus a year earlier to $23.74 billion, compared with expectations of $22.84 billion. Demand was partially fueled by Johnson & Johnson’s Darzalex blood cancer therapy, which raked in better-than-projected sales of $3.54 billion.

"Our portfolio and pipeline position us for elevated growth in the second half of the year, with game-changing approvals and submissions anticipated in areas like lung and bladder cancer, major depressive disorder, psoriasis, surgery and cardiovascular, which will extend and improve lives in transformative ways,” said CEO Joaquin Duato in a statement.