We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Low Risk Stocks To Buy in 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) stands against the other low risk stocks.
Risk is a key consideration in investing and portfolio management, as investors generally aim to achieve the maximum return per minimum unit of risk. The true risk of a stock is impossible to measure or quantify, but there are several metrics, such as the volatility of returns or equity beta, that can gauge the magnitude of risk relative to other companies. The equity beta of a stock represents the sensitivity, or correlation, between the returns of the stock and the returns of the broad market. An equity beta below one means that the stock does not respond as much as the broad market to different events, such as macroeconomic developments, monetary policy changes, etc. When a stock with low risk (low beta) is introduced into a portfolio, the overall expected risk of the portfolio is significantly reduced, while the expected return is usually not significantly compromised, leading to a better risk/return profile.
READ ALSO: 12 Best Long Term Low Risk Stocks to Buy Right Now
There are times when the risk profile of a portfolio becomes a more important consideration than maximizing returns, such as during periods of economic uncertainty, market downturns, or when an investor nears retirement and prioritizes capital preservation over growth. In these situations, investors often shift their focus from aggressive returns, such as growth stocks, to minimizing potential losses, adjusting their portfolios to include more low-beta stocks, bonds, or other defensive assets.
Market volatility, geopolitical tensions, and changes in monetary policy can also drive investors toward safer investments to protect their capital. Understanding and managing risk, particularly through measures like equity beta, allows investors to navigate uncertain times without exposing themselves to unnecessary losses. While low beta stocks are usually more mature and low growth businesses, they can deliver strong returns during bear markets, as capital actively starts flowing into them and inflates their market valuation. Consequently, by rotating into low risk stocks at the right time, investors can achieve two goals at once – not only reduce the risk of the portfolio, but also significantly improve the potential return profile.
We believe the broad stock market is currently at a crossroads and has just entered a new “Trump 2.0 regime,” which will be dominated by unprecedented actions and measures. Not only does the new US administration employ tools such as tariffs that were not used on a large scale for decades, but it has also started some strategic political shifts that could threaten decade-long alliances (such as the US-Europe alliance). All of this, coupled with aggressive cost-cutting in federal budgets and spending, has introduced a lot of uncertainty and difficult-to-digest news for investors.
The US stock market is also in correction mode since the inauguration date, and there is no certainty about when this will stop. With many surveys showing deteriorating spending and business outlooks, a slowdown in GDP growth with a potential bear market becomes a probable scenario for the following quarters. These are the times when buying low risk stocks could significantly improve the risk profile of one’s portfolio without compromising the potential return. Low risk stocks, as gauged by the equity beta, are usually found in sectors like consumer defensive, healthcare, as well as some financials and energy, which tend to have more predictable and stable business models. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best low risk stocks to buy now.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of low risk stocks, we used Finviz to filter the companies that have an equity beta below 1.0x. Then we compared them with Insider Monkey’s proprietary Q4 2024 database of hedge funds ownership and included in the article the top 10 names with the highest number of hedge funds that own the stock.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A smiling baby with an array of baby care products in the foreground.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 98
Equity Beta: 0.49x
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is a global healthcare company that develops and sells pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health products. Its pharmaceutical segment focuses on treatments for immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and infectious diseases, while its medical devices division provides surgical, orthopedic, and cardiovascular solutions. The company’s consumer health brands include Tylenol, Band-Aid, Neutrogena, and Listerine. JNJ operates in international markets, distributing its products through hospitals, pharmacies, and retail channels. Its strategy emphasizes research and development, innovation in healthcare technology, and global expansion, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance, sustainability, and public health initiatives. The US-based company ranked second on our recent list of 7 Cheap Global Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) remains committed to growing its MedTech business at the upper range of the 5-7% market growth rate over the period 2022-2027, having achieved 6.2% operational growth in the previous year. The company has significantly transformed its portfolio through substantial R&D investments, spending $3.1 billion in 2023 and $3.7 billion in 2024, with projections indicating that one-third of sales will come from new products by 2027. Strategic M&A activities, including $32 billion investments in cardiovascular care through acquisitions like Abiomed and Shockwave, have strengthened the company’s market position. The company has successfully shifted its portfolio composition, moving from 18% of business in high-growth categories in 2018 to 50% currently.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has implemented significant organizational changes, including decentralizing operations by moving 32,000 associates into individual business units to enhance specialization and customer intimacy. The company maintains a strong position in robotics, with successful platforms like VELYS in orthopaedics achieving presence in 30 markets and completing over 100,000 procedures. Despite facing headwinds in China due to volume-based procurement and anticorruption campaigns, JNJ remains committed to the Asian market, recognizing that 60% of patients live in APAC. The company’s unique model of combining pharmaceutical and medical technology businesses positions it advantageously for future healthcare integration, particularly in enabling same-visit testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the low 0.49x equity beta, JNJ is one of the best low risk stocks to buy in 2025.
Overall JNJ ranks 8th on our list of the best low risk stocks to buy in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of JNJ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than JNJ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
