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Johnson & Johnson earnings quality score

How much of the reported profit is backed by cash, and how many markers of managed earnings the filings show

Score45 / 100 · grade D · rank 924 of 1027

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) scores 45 of 100 for earnings quality, grade D: rank 924 of 1027 companies and 115 of 126 in health. It loses the most points on accruals of +1.2% of assets, higher than 91% of companies, Montier C-score 5 of 6 checks failed, adjusted earnings 38% below GAAP. It earns full or near-full marks for Beneish M-score -2.26: clean (below −2.22), profit about as variable as cash flow (smoothness 5.72).

What earned and lost points

ComponentWhat the filings showPointsOf
Accrualsaccruals of +1.2% of assets, higher than 91% of companies220
Beneish M-scoreBeneish M-score -2.26: clean (below −2.22)1515
Dechow F-scoreDechow F-score 1.40 (above normal)1115
Montier C-scoreMontier C-score 5 of 6 checks failed215
Discretionary accrualsdiscretionary accruals of -3.0% of assets (modified Jones), smaller than most510
Piotroski F-scorePiotroski F-score 4 of 9410
Non-GAAP gapadjusted earnings 38% below GAAP010
Earnings smoothnessprofit about as variable as cash flow (smoothness 5.72)55
JNJ: share of the available points, by componentJNJ: share of the available points, by componentAccruals10%Discretionary accruals52%Beneish M-score100%Dechow F-score73%Montier C-score17%Piotroski F-score44%Earnings smoothness100%

How the score is built

Eight published measures, each scored against the whole universe or on its own scale and weighted: accruals 20, discretionary accruals 10, Beneish M 15, Dechow F 15, Montier C 15, Piotroski F 10, the non-GAAP gap 10, smoothness 5. A measure that cannot be computed (Beneish for a bank, say) drops out and the rest is rescaled, so every company is scored on what applies to it.

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Computed from the companies’ own XBRL filings (latest fiscal year) by published formulas; a statistical screen, not an audit or an accusation. A low score means the reported profit shows more of the markers of managed or low-quality earnings than its peers. Not investment advice.