Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Hits New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday. The company traded as high as $157.47 and last traded at $157.4750, with a volume of 660972 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $156.24.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on JCI. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Friday, September 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Johnson Controls International from $186.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $160.35.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.62. The firm has a market cap of $96.10 billion, a PE ratio of 27.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.27.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.12. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.32% and a return on equity of 22.11%. The firm had revenue of $6.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International plc will post 5.08 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 27.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 15,017 shares in the company, valued at $2,298,652.19. This trade represents a 60.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Iowa State Bank increased its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 0.6% in the third quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 20,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,979,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. CX Institutional grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 4.4% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 15,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,293,000 after purchasing an additional 646 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 222,168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,461,000 after purchasing an additional 9,988 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 14.2% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 49,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,232,000 after buying an additional 6,173 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,283,873 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,143,674,000 after buying an additional 621,319 shares during the last quarter. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI) is a global provider of building technology, products and services. The company helps commercial, institutional and industrial customers improve building performance, energy efficiency, safety and occupant comfort through integrated solutions.

Its offerings include heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; building automation and controls; fire detection and suppression equipment; security systems; energy management technologies; and related service, maintenance and digital solutions.