Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Hold” consensus on Johnson Controls, with 12 buy, 10 hold and 1 sell rating among 23 firms. The average 12-month price target is $155.75, modestly above the reported $141.29 share price.
• Johnson Controls exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $1.42 versus the $1.30 estimate and revenue of $6.61 billion versus $6.46 billion expected. Revenue increased 9.3% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, equivalent to a $1.60 annualized payout and a 1.1% yield. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the stock, while an executive recently sold shares.

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty-three ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and twelve have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $155.75.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on JCI shares. Zacks Research cut shares of Johnson Controls International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Argus set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Friday, August 7th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $169.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Friday, September 4th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 15,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,298,652.19. This represents a 60.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 17.5% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 37,970 shares of the company's stock worth $5,548,000 after buying an additional 5,650 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 82.5% during the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 116,133 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,968,000 after purchasing an additional 52,484 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 27.5% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,755 shares of the company's stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 594 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 4.7% in the second quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 2,431 shares of the company's stock valued at $355,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 19.9% during the second quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 20,896 shares of the company's stock worth $3,053,000 after buying an additional 3,465 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

JCI stock opened at $141.29 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Johnson Controls International has a 12-month low of $104.49 and a 12-month high of $157.06. The company has a market cap of $85.59 billion, a PE ratio of 24.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $144.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $141.27.

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

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. Johnson Controls International's payout ratio is presently 27.83%.

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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