Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

JCI has been the topic of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Trading Down 4.7%

Shares of JCI stock opened at $138.62 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $84.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.80, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.32. Johnson Controls International has a 1 year low of $102.09 and a 1 year high of $149.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $141.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $132.76.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $6.14 billion for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 19.50% and a net margin of 14.45%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Johnson Controls International will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 28.62%.

Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value of $12,521,180.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares in the company, valued at $8,044,748.41. This represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total transaction of $263,160.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,832,633. This trade represents a 6.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JCI. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 769 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 1st quarter valued at about $277,000. Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the first quarter valued at about $135,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 193.2% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 50,721 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,642,000 after purchasing an additional 33,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Trading LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 280.0% in the first quarter. DV Trading LLC now owns 1,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Johnson Controls International

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.