Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Cuts Stock Position in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Clifford Swan Investment Counsel reduced its Johnson Controls International stake by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,649 shares and leaving it with 288,770 shares valued at about $34.6 million.
• Johnson Controls reported quarterly EPS of $1.19 on revenue of $6.14 billion, and analysts currently expect the company to earn 4.86 EPS for the full fiscal year.
• The company announced a $0.40 quarterly dividend payable July 10, and analysts remain mixed overall with an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $149.79.

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC trimmed its position in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 288,770 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,649 shares during the period. Johnson Controls International makes up about 1.1% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $34,580,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Regents Gate Capital LLP raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 17.4% during the third quarter. Regents Gate Capital LLP now owns 86,144 shares of the company's stock worth $9,472,000 after purchasing an additional 12,774 shares in the last quarter. Bright Futures Wealth Management LLC. acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $583,000. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co increased its position in Johnson Controls International by 23.7% during the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 75,021 shares of the company's stock worth $8,249,000 after purchasing an additional 14,354 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,276,753 shares of the company's stock worth $274,235,000 after buying an additional 142,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,345,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

NYSE JCI opened at $147.35 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $138.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $129.59. The company has a market capitalization of $89.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.36, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.32. Johnson Controls International plc has a 1-year low of $100.86 and a 1-year high of $148.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Johnson Controls International's payout ratio is currently 28.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $137.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $169.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $149.79.

Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value of $12,521,180.91. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,044,748.41. This represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Johnson Controls International Profile

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.

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