Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Reaches New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $149.23 and last traded at $147.6530, with a volume of 261481 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $144.96.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on JCI. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $176.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 3rd. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. One equities research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 1.7%

The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market cap of $89.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.33. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $140.40 and its 200 day moving average is $130.85.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $6.14 billion for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.45% and a return on equity of 19.50%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.86 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is 28.62%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total transaction of $263,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,832,633. This trade represents a 6.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,044,748.41. This represents a 60.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maseco LLP lifted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 102.9% during the 4th quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Roxbury Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 71.9% in the fourth quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP raised its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.9% in the fourth quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.