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

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

Johnson Controls International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson Controls International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upgraded guidance — JCI reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.89 (vs. ~$0.84 consensus) and revenue above estimates; management raised FY26 EPS guidance to $4.70 and set Q2 EPS at $1.11, above Street expectations, supporting upside to earnings estimates. Johnson Controls Reports Strong Q1 Results; Raises FY26 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Record orders and backlog — Orders jumped sharply (organic orders +39% YoY) and backlog hit a record $18.2B (organic +20%), signaling durable demand pipeline, particularly from data-center projects. Johnson Controls Delivers Double-Digit Order Growth and Lifts FY26 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Data-center / AI-driven demand cited as growth driver — Coverage highlights that the backlog and recent wins reflect strong demand for cooling solutions for multistory data centers and AI facilities, a higher-margin, fast-growing end market. Johnson Controls Smashes 52-Week High As Record $18.2 Billion Backlog Screams Data Center Boom
• Positive Sentiment: New product tailwind — JCI launched the YORK YDAM high-density chiller aimed at multistory data centers/AI factories, reinforcing product-led exposure to the AI cooling cycle. Johnson Controls launches YORK YDAM: the ultimate high-density chiller for multistory data centers and AI factories
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / analyst commentary — Transcripts and call highlights emphasize margin expansion (lower SG&A) and regional revenue strength; analysts note this could be the company’s fastest earnings growth in a decade if execution continues. Johnson Controls International PLC (JCI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Growth and …
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation / rally questions — After a strong run (one-year rally noted by coverage), some pieces ask whether the stock is priced for continued growth, suggesting investors should weigh valuation versus accelerating fundamentals. Is It Too Late To Consider Johnson Controls International (JCI) After Its 62% One-Year Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — An executive VP disclosed sales of roughly $6.08M in shares; while not uncommon, insider sales can temper sentiment for some investors. Johnson Controls exec VP sells shares worth $6.08 million

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped 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 report on Thursday, November 6th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Friday, November 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $126.61.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 32,031 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.20, for a total transaction of $3,625,909.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 66,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,559,496. This represents a 32.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 2nd quarter worth $795,325,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 368.5% during the third quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 6,796,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $747,324,000 after purchasing an additional 5,346,130 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.8% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,575,414 shares of the company’s stock worth $483,281,000 after purchasing an additional 2,675,157 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in Johnson Controls International by 1,545.8% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,134,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $232,705,000 after purchasing an additional 2,004,643 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 232.4% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,124,125 shares of the company’s stock valued at $224,350,000 after buying an additional 1,485,007 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:JCI opened at $129.47 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $79.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.44, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.43. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.29. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $68.03 and a one year high of $136.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 13.95% and a return on equity of 15.35%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

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.