Johnson Controls International Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 19,207 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,963% compared to the average volume of 931 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on JCI. Barclays raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on Johnson Controls International from $137.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $129.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $154.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.53.

Johnson Controls International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $133.05 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Johnson Controls International has a 1 year low of $68.03 and a 1 year high of $146.49. The firm has a market cap of $81.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.06, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $119.03.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.64 billion. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 17.15%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.700-4.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.110-1.110 EPS. Analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In other news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 6,050 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.90, for a total value of $816,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 34,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,699,376.40. The trade was a 14.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark Vergnano acquired 7,665 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $131.94 per share, for a total transaction of $1,011,320.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 37,602 shares in the company, valued at $4,961,207.88. This trade represents a 25.60% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 69,365,463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,326,380,000 after buying an additional 920,777 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,684,645 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,165,286,000 after buying an additional 163,167 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 3.0% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 23,223,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,452,909,000 after buying an additional 675,862 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,239,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,064,485,000 after buying an additional 280,704 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 13.0% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

About Johnson Controls International

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.