Stock Comparison
JNJ vs PG: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?
A head-to-head comparison of Johnson & Johnson and The Procter & Gamble Company covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.
Data updated August 14, 2026
Best for
- JNJInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.
- PGInvestors who want higher current income (2.98% vs 1.99% for JNJ).
Side-by-side snapshot
| Metric | JNJ | PG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johnson & Johnson | The Procter & Gamble Company |
| Issuer | — | — |
| Last Close | $260.35 as of August 14, 2026 | $144.55 as of August 14, 2026 |
| Distribution yield | 1.99% | 2.98% |
| Distribution Safety Score™ | 100 | 99 |
| Expense ratio | — | — |
| AUM | — | — |
| Distribution frequency | Quarterly | Quarterly |
| Underlying index | — | — |
| Objective | Researches, develops, manufactures, and sells healthcare products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health products worldwide. | Provides branded consumer packaged goods including beauty, grooming, health care, fabric care, and home care products worldwide. |
| Asset class | Equity | Equity |
| Inception date | N/A | N/A |
| Beta | 0.231 | 0.377 |
| Last dividend | $1.3400 | $1.0890 |
| Ex-dividend date | 08/25/2026 | 07/24/2026 |
Bottom lineChoose JNJ if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. Choose PG if you want higher current income (2.98% vs 1.99% for JNJ).
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Visual comparison
Key metrics
Projected income on $10K
Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.
Total returns
JNJ has outpaced PG over the trailing twelve months, posting a 52.12% total return against -4.25%. The lead holds up over 10 years too: JNJ has compounded at 10.78% a year, against 8.12% for PG. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.
| Symbol | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Since Jan 1962 | Volatility | Sharpe | Sortino | Max drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JNJ | 26.23% | 52.12% | 17.66% | 11.07% | 10.78% | 13.07% | 17.8% | 0.66 | 0.96 | -15.7% |
| PG | 4.22% | -4.25% | 0.14% | 2.73% | 8.12% | 10.06% | 17.8% | -0.24 | -0.33 | -21.1% |
Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date, split-adjusted, as of August 14, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; longer windows are annualized. “Since Jan 1962” measures every fund from January 2, 1962 — the youngest fund's first trading day — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.
Quick verdict
JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) and PG (The Procter & Gamble Company) are both quarterly-pay dividend-paying stocks, but they take different approaches.
PG offers the higher yield at 2.98% vs 1.99% for JNJ. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.
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Deep dive
Yield & income
On a $10,000 investment, JNJ would generate roughly $16.58/month, while PG would produce $24.83/month, at current distribution rates. Both pay quarterly distributions.
Strategy & risk
JNJ is a stock, while PG is a stock. Beta is 0.231 for JNJ and 0.377 for PG, indicating JNJ is less volatile relative to the market.
Security details
JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) is a stock. PG (The Procter & Gamble Company) is a stock.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current distribution yield for JNJ and PG?
JNJ currently distributes 1.99% and PG 2.98%, based on fund data updated August 2026. Distribution yield moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.
Is JNJ or PG better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. PG currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.
What is the difference between JNJ and PG?
JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) is a stock, while PG (The Procter & Gamble Company) is a stock. They are issued by — and — respectively.
Can I hold both JNJ and PG?
Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.
Is JNJ or PG safer?
By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — they are effectively tied: JNJ scores 100, PG scores 99. Neither has a clear safety edge on that measure. No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee.
How much income does $10,000 in JNJ vs PG generate?
At current rates, $10,000 in JNJ would generate roughly $16.58 per month ($199.00 annually). The same in PG would produce about $24.83 per month ($298.00 annually).
Which has performed better historically, JNJ or PG?
JNJ has outpaced PG over the trailing twelve months, posting a 52.12% total return against -4.25%. The lead holds up over 10 years too: JNJ has compounded at 10.78% a year, against 8.12% for PG. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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JNJ vs PG — at a glance
Generated August 15, 2026.
Overview
Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble are both blue-chip dividend stocks with roots in 1962, but they serve different ends of the consumer and healthcare landscape. JNJ focuses on pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health; PG manufactures and sells branded packaged goods across beauty, grooming, fabric care, and home care. The key distinction is their underlying business resilience: JNJ's pharmaceutical and medical-device revenue streams tend to move independently of economic cycles, while PG's consumer products face more direct exposure to discretionary spending and commodity cost pressures.
How they differ
JNJ's yield of 1.99% is substantially lower than PG's 2.98%, reflecting the market's valuation of JNJ's lower volatility and more defensive cash flows. JNJ's beta of 0.231 signals meaningfully lower sensitivity to broad market swings compared to PG's 0.377, a 63% difference that points to JNJ's stronger insulation from economic downturns—pharmaceutical demand and medical-device orders hold up when growth slows. PG's higher yield compensates for greater business-cycle sensitivity; its consumer-products model requires price increases or volume growth to offset raw-material and labor cost inflation, a challenge that surfaces more acutely during stagflation scenarios. Both companies initiate quarterly distributions, ensuring consistent timing for income planners.
Who each is best for
JNJ: Fits investors prioritizing capital stability and minimal portfolio volatility, even at the cost of lower current income. The low beta suits portfolios already exposed to growth or cyclical assets.
PG: Fits investors seeking higher current yield from a recognizable brand with essential-product exposure, and who can tolerate moderate economic-cycle sensitivity in exchange for stronger distribution growth potential.
Key risks to know
- Pharmaceutical patent cliffs. JNJ faces periodic loss of exclusivity on major drugs, which can compress revenue and cash flow if replacement products don't launch on schedule. PG has no equivalent single-asset risk.
- Consumer staples valuation and input costs. PG's margin depends on the company's ability to raise prices without losing market share; prolonged inflation or weak consumer demand can squeeze profitability faster than JNJ faces pressure.
- Relative yield sustainability. PG's higher payout ratio (implied by its 2.98% yield) leaves less room for distribution growth if earnings growth stalls, whereas JNJ's lower yield provides greater cushion for dividend increases.
- Exposure overlap. Both stocks are core holdings in many large-cap portfolios and can be correlated in market dislocations, despite their different betas.
Bottom line
If you value downside protection and predictable cash flows, JNJ's lower volatility and entrenched pharmaceutical moat stand out; if you prioritize higher current income and are comfortable with modest business-cycle swings, PG's yield advantage deserves consideration. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.
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