According to Bloomberg’s Michael Regan, Johnson and Johnson’s specific woes — as well as maybe triggered electronic sell programs — are notably contributing to today’s decline in the major averages:
“…the 11% tumble in Johnson & Johnson is absolutely astounding. That one stock alone is shaving about 110 points off the Dow Jones Industrial Average — almost a third of its loss. What’s also notable is that other health-care stocks such as Walgreens Boots, Merck, UnitedHealth and Pfizer are also among the worst performers in the Dow. It makes you wonder if some algos somewhere are mistaking the plunge in J&J for something other than a company-specific story.”