Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Cuts Holdings in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC cut its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) by 6.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 262,208 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,064 shares during the period. Johnson Controls International comprises approximately 1.2% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $38,311,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in JCI. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 0.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,684,645 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,165,286,000 after acquiring an additional 163,167 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 22,655,105 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,712,949,000 after acquiring an additional 718,245 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,239,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,064,485,000 after purchasing an additional 280,704 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised 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 purchasing an additional 1,837,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter valued at $927,739,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE JCI opened at $138.29 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $83.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52-week low of $103.82 and a 52-week high of $157.06. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $144.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.24.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Johnson Controls International’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.05 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 5.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is 27.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of Johnson Controls International 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 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the company’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 transaction, the vice president owned 15,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,298,652.19. The trade was a 60.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

JCI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $169.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. HSBC lifted their price target on Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $136.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $155.50.

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.