19,699 Johnson Controls International plc $JCI Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its stake in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) by 4.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 425,353 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,699 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $63,245,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. NBH Bank acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Signature Equity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 96.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Virginia Estate & Retirement Planning Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 51.3% in the second quarter. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC now owns 230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Bancorp Inc ME acquired a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of NYSE:JCI traded down $3.37 during trading on Friday, hitting $139.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,047,312 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,888,477. The company has a market capitalization of $84.31 billion, a PE ratio of 29.74, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.27. Johnson Controls International plc has a fifty-two week low of $108.41 and a fifty-two week high of $160.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $147.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $142.14.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.07. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 23.38% and a net margin of 11.12%. The firm had revenue of $7.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.26 EPS. Johnson Controls International’s quarterly revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 16th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Juergen Tinggren sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.19, for a total value of $636,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 27,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,335,698.84. The trade was a 12.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JCI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Argus set a $175.00 target price on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Friday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $186.00 to $191.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Deutsche Bank decreased their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $180.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $162.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $166.76.

Johnson Controls International Profile

Johnson Controls International plc develops building technologies, products and services for commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Its offerings include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, building automation and controls, fire detection and suppression systems, and security solutions. The company also provides maintenance, modernization and other services to help customers manage building operations. Its products and services support facilities such as offices, hospitals, schools, data centers and manufacturing sites.