Ascent Group LLC Invests $340,000 in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Ascent Group LLC has acquired 4,245 shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI), valued at approximately $340,000, during the first quarter.
• Johnson Controls International announced a dividend increase to $0.40 per share, up from $0.37, with a payout ratio of 47.48% and a yield of 1.5%.
• The company also authorized a $9.00 billion share buyback plan, allowing the repurchase of up to 13.4% of its shares, signaling confidence in its stock value.

Ascent Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 4,245 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $340,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Truvestments Capital LLC raised its stake in Johnson Controls International by 425.0% in the first quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the period. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 74.5% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 363 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 56.4% in the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 369 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $103.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, July 24th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $116.00 price objective (up previously from $103.00) on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $100.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $112.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $105.72.

Johnson Controls International Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of JCI stock traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $107.55. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,826,261 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,137,854. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $106.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.59. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52 week low of $68.03 and a 52 week high of $112.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $70.38 billion, a PE ratio of 31.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.31.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.06. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 14.71% and a net margin of 9.53%.The firm had revenue of $6.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.99 billion. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.650-3.680 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 1.140-1.170 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 17th. Investors of record on Monday, September 22nd will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 22nd. This is a positive change from Johnson Controls International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Johnson Controls International's dividend payout ratio is presently 43.92%.

Johnson Controls International declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Friday, June 13th that authorizes the company to buyback $9.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 13.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 5,917 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.73, for a total value of $625,604.41. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 25,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,643,778.65. The trade was a 19.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Nathan D. Manning sold 1,422 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.06, for a total value of $149,395.32. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 139,459 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,651,562.54. The trade was a 1.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,183 shares of company stock valued at $1,071,501 over the last ninety days. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Johnson Controls International Profile

Johnson Controls International plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in engineering, manufacturing, commissioning, and retrofitting building products and systems in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific, and Global Products.