Shares of Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +0.44% inched 0.45% higher to $152.98 Thursday, on what proved to be an all-around positive trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX, +0.16% rising 0.17% to 3,484.55 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.56% rising 0.57% to 28,492.27. This was the stock’s second consecutive day of gains. Johnson & Johnson closed $4.02 short of its 52-week high ($157.00), which the company reached on April 23rd.
The stock outperformed some of its competitors Thursday, as Roche Holding AG Part. Cert. RHHVF, -0.67% fell 0.68% to $352.05, Merck & Co. Inc. MRK, +0.32% rose 0.33% to $85.82, and Pfizer Inc. PFE, -0.49% fell 0.50% to $37.86. Trading volume (5.4 M) remained 589,227 below its 50-day average volume of 6.0 M.