Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo upgraded Johnson Controls International to “strong-buy.” Across analysts, the stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $157.05.
• Johnson Controls shares opened at $150.19 and were reported up 3.3%, near their 52-week high of $157.06. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $90.97 billion.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.42 versus the $1.30 consensus and revenue of $6.61 billion versus $6.46 billion expected; revenue increased 9.3% year over year.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on JCI. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $171.00 price target on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Citigroup boosted their price target on Johnson Controls International from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $157.05.

Johnson Controls International Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of NYSE:JCI opened at $150.19 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $145.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.83. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $104.49 and a one year high of $157.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.97 billion, a PE ratio of 26.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.29.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.12. The company 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International will post 5.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Lei Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the company'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 value of $3,584,440.19. Following the sale, the vice president owned 15,017 shares in the company, valued at $2,298,652.19. This represents a 60.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rokos Capital Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 1st quarter worth about $45,833,000. ABN Amro Investment Solutions acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 1st quarter valued at about $8,863,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 25,054 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,000,000 after acquiring an additional 12,529 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 49.7% in the 1st quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 140,488 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,397,000 after acquiring an additional 46,650 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 22,655,105 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,712,949,000 after acquiring an additional 718,245 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Johnson Controls International

Johnson Controls International plc NYSE: JCI is a global company focused on building technologies and solutions that improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of buildings. Its offerings include heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, building automation and controls, fire detection and suppression equipment, security systems, and related digital technologies and services.

The company serves commercial, institutional, industrial and residential customers, helping organizations manage building operations, energy use, indoor air quality and physical security.

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