Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-three brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $155.75.

Several research analysts have weighed in on JCI shares. Argus set a $175.00 target price on Johnson Controls International in a report on Friday, August 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research cut Johnson Controls International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $173.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st.

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE JCI opened at $146.64 on Friday. Johnson Controls International has a 52-week low of $104.49 and a 52-week high of $157.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market cap of $88.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $144.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.34.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.12. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.32% and a return on equity of 22.11%. The company had revenue of $6.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.05 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 5.08 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is presently 27.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In other news, VP Lei Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.07, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 60.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,283,873 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,143,674,000 after purchasing an additional 621,319 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 22,655,105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,712,949,000 after buying an additional 718,245 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,239,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,064,485,000 after acquiring an additional 280,704 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 16,003,486 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,916,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,837,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $927,739,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Johnson Controls International

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) is a global company focused on building technologies and solutions that improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of buildings. Its offerings include heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, building automation and controls, fire detection and suppression equipment, security systems, and related digital technologies and services.

The company serves commercial, institutional, industrial and residential customers, helping organizations manage building operations, energy use, indoor air quality and physical security.