Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI – Get Rating) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $69.31.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on JCI. Barclays dropped their target price on Johnson Controls International from $73.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $76.00 to $72.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $69.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $70.00 to $72.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of JCI opened at $62.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $42.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.22. Johnson Controls International has a fifty-two week low of $45.52 and a fifty-two week high of $69.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The business’s 50-day moving average is $59.62 and its 200-day moving average is $63.05.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.51 billion. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 5.33%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.63 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 3.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 17th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. This is a boost from Johnson Controls International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 71.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson Controls International news, CFO Olivier Leonetti sold 30,997 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.36, for a total transaction of $1,932,972.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 101,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,345,566.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, VP John Donofrio sold 14,253 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.02, for a total value of $898,224.06. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 37,090 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,337,411.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Olivier Leonetti sold 30,997 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.36, for a total value of $1,932,972.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 101,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,345,566.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Profund Advisors LLC lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 21.4% in the fourth quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 7,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 1,348 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 17.1% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 859,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,283,000 after purchasing an additional 125,229 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 17.8% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 304,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,548,000 after purchasing an additional 46,134 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 12,550 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 16.6% in the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,659 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,375 shares during the period. 88.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Johnson Controls International

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Johnson Controls International Plc engages in the provision of building products, energy solutions, integrated infrastructure and next generation transportation systems. Its technology and service capabilities include fire, security, HVAC, power solutions and energy storage to serve various end markets including large institutions, commercial buildings, retail, industrial, small business and residential.