Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI)

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

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of JCI opened at $121.44 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $115.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $109.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.41. Johnson Controls International has a 12-month low of $68.03 and a 12-month high of $123.78.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.31 billion. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 13.95% and a return on equity of 15.35%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.28 EPS. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.550-4.55 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.830-0.83 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 22nd. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 32,031 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.20, for a total transaction of $3,625,909.20. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 66,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,559,496. The trade was a 32.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 0.7% in the third quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 12,645 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,390,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 12.6% in the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 860 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 6,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $715,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nwam LLC increased its position in Johnson Controls International by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 9,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $951,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $124.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $101.00 to $119.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $116.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $121.05.

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.