Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold”

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on JCI. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Argus set a $175.00 price objective on Johnson Controls International in a report on Friday. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.80.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of JCI opened at $152.43 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $92.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $143.93 and a 200 day moving average of $138.42. Johnson Controls International has a twelve month low of $103.07 and a twelve month high of $157.06.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $6.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.32%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.05 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International will post 5.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.07, for a total value of $3,584,440.19. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 15,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,298,652.19. The trade was a 60.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total value of $263,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,832,633. The trade was a 6.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 14.7% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 112,411 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,461,000 after buying an additional 14,446 shares during the period. Diversified Management Inc. bought a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth $1,310,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth $1,233,000. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth $2,712,000. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new position in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $16,426,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

Johnson Controls International plc is a global diversified technology and multi?industrial company that develops products, services and solutions for buildings and energy storage. The company’s core focus is on improving building efficiency, safety and sustainability through a combination of HVAC equipment, building controls and automation, fire and security systems, and related services. Johnson Controls traces its roots to 1885, when inventor Warren S. Johnson developed an electric room thermostat; over its long history the company has expanded from controls into a broad set of building?related technologies and, through corporate transactions, into a global provider of integrated building solutions.

Johnson Controls’ product and service portfolio includes heating, ventilation and air?conditioning equipment, chillers, air handlers and related mechanical systems, together with building automation and control platforms that monitor and manage energy use, indoor environmental quality and security.