This week, Kenvue, the consumer health spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, found itself at the epicenter of a market tempest this week. It began when The Wall Street Journal reported Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime promoter of scientifically baseless causes for autism, planned to link Tylenol use during pregnancy to the condition. A stock rout ensued, since Kennedy is secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and leads the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, or MAHA. An intraday slump neared 15% at one point after the Journal‘s report before retreating, but roughly 9% has still been wiped off Kenvue’s market cap.
A chorus of Wall Street analysts beg to differ, reaffirming Kenvue’s fundamental resilience and seeing this as an opportunity to buy the dip. In notes distributed to clients Monday morning, firms such as BofA Securities and Canaccord Genuity encouraged investors to view the sell-off as a buying opportunity rather than confirmation of a deep and lasting threat to Kenvue’s business.
