Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $151.18 and last traded at $151.46, with a volume of 753088 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $146.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $171.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. HSBC boosted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $153.30.

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 0.9%

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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $143.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $138.04. The stock has a market cap of $93.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.31.

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

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.07, for a total transaction of $3,584,440.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 15,017 shares in the company, valued at $2,298,652.19. The trade was a 60.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total value of $263,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares in the company, valued at $3,832,633. This trade represents a 6.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 114,026 shares of company stock valued at $16,368,781 over the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JCI. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 112,411 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,461,000 after buying an additional 14,446 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Management Inc. purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at $1,310,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at $1,233,000. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth about $2,712,000. Finally, Vista Investment Partners II LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth about $2,795,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently 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.