Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 4,620 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 73% compared to the typical volume of 2,668 call options.

Insider Activity

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,832,633. The trade was a 6.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value of $12,521,180.91. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 57,059 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,044,748.41. The trade was a 60.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $927,739,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 368.5% during the 3rd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 6,796,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $747,324,000 after acquiring an additional 5,346,130 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 157.2% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 5,965,212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $781,145,000 after acquiring an additional 3,646,047 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,575,414 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,281,000 after acquiring an additional 2,675,157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 16,003,486 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,916,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,837,220 shares during the last quarter. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore assumed coverage on Johnson Controls International in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $171.00 target price on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, HSBC increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $153.30.

Johnson Controls International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings beat expectations. Adjusted EPS was $1.42 versus the $1.30 consensus, while revenue rose 9.3% year over year to $6.61 billion, exceeding the $6.46 billion estimate. Johnson Controls earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its fiscal 2026 outlook. The company now expects adjusted EPS of approximately $5.05, above the $4.90 analyst consensus, and fourth-quarter EPS of $1.55 versus the $1.52 consensus. Full-year organic sales growth is projected at about 8%. Johnson Controls raises fiscal 2026 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Demand indicators were robust. Organic orders increased 27% year over year, and the organic backlog grew 32% to $21.0 billion. Data-center demand is emerging as a major growth driver and could eventually represent roughly one-third of the business. Johnson Controls data center demand
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target from $154 to $161 while maintaining a “sector perform” rating, implying additional upside based on the referenced current price. RBC raises Johnson Controls price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts collectively maintain a “moderate buy” recommendation, while unusually high call-option activity indicates increased trading interest but is not conclusive evidence of future performance. Johnson Controls unusual options activity
• Negative Sentiment: Recent institutional positioning was mixed, with several large investors reducing holdings, and disclosed insider activity included more sales than purchases. These signals may modestly temper the otherwise positive earnings reaction.

Johnson Controls International Trading Up 3.4%

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $144.12 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $142.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $136.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.06, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.31. Johnson Controls International has a 12-month low of $103.07 and a 12-month high of $151.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $6.61 billion during 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.05 earnings per share. Johnson Controls International has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.550-1.550 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.050-5.050 EPS. Analysts predict that Johnson Controls International will post 5.05 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is presently 28.62%.

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.