Drugmakers Get Bitter Pill: Opioid Lawsuit to Proceed
Pharmaceutical companies who have produced and marketed opioids such as Oxycontin have been 'drug' a little closer to a potentially expensive day of reckoning. A federal magistrate who reviewed a test-case of the class action suit though which thousands of municipalities are seeking billions of dollars in damages has deemed that the injuries claimed by the plaintiffs cannot be ignored without a further hearing.
Among the many companies named in the suit are Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Purdue Pharma Inc., McKesson (MCK), and AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC), some of whom make drugs and some of whom distribute them. The suit alleges that the companies understated the risks of the drugs, overstated the benefits, and ignored suspiciously high volumes of the drugs being ordered.
President Trump and other officials have taken action to stamp out the opioid epidemic which has escalated to ghastly proportions, claiming around 100 American lives every day.
Parallels exist between the current lawsuit and the Big Tobacco case of the 1990s, in which governments were able to extract a $246 Billion settlement from tobacco companies. The tobacco-related claims partially involved the marketing techniques companies used and partially involved the knowledge that companies had about the detrimental affects of their products. The current lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies differs in that the products are only available with prescriptions.
The case is being heard in the US District court of Northern Ohio. Settlements outside of court are becoming increasingly likely, which may allow the companies to avoid any admission of wrongdoing.
Contributor
Serhii Bondarenko is an AI-focused trading strategist and financial markets analyst specializing in the development and application of AI trading bots and autonomous trading agents. His work combines technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and quantitative research to identify market patterns, forecast price movements, and analyze liquidity, volatility, and correlations across global stock markets. Serhii actively publishes market insights, forecasts, and trading frameworks on platforms such as Investing.com and Finextra, with a strong focus on AI-driven decision-making and next-generation algorithmic trading. His research aims to bridge the gap between traditional trading methodologies and advanced artificial intelligence, helping traders and investors navigate complex and rapidly evolving market conditions.
Aroon Indicator for JNJ shows an upward move is likely
JNJ's Aroon Indicator triggered a bullish signal on August 24, 2026. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor detected that the AroonUp green line is above 70 while the AroonDown red line is below 30. When the up indicator moves above 70 and the down indicator remains below 30, it is a sign that the stock could be setting up for a bullish move. Traders may want to buy the stock or look to buy calls options. A.I.dvisor looked at 259 similar instances where the Aroon Indicator showed a similar pattern. In of the 259 cases, the stock moved higher in the days that followed. This puts the odds of a move higher at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on August 13, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on JNJ as a result. In of 82 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for JNJ just turned positive on August 18, 2026. Looking at past instances where JNJ's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 45 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where JNJ advanced for three days, in of 346 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for JNJ moved out of overbought territory on August 20, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 38 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 38 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 7 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where JNJ declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
JNJ broke above its upper Bollinger Band on August 18, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 61, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (7.746) is normal, around the industry mean (19.422). P/E Ratio (31.687) is within average values for comparable stocks, (33.317). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (4.785) is also within normal values, averaging (11.305). Dividend Yield (0.019) settles around the average of (0.027) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (6.803) is also within normal values, averaging (4.270).
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. JNJ’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
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General Information
an investment holding company with interests in health care products
Industry PharmaceuticalsMajor
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