Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Acquires Shares of 125,529 Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners disclosed a new stake in Johnson Controls International, buying 125,529 shares valued at about $15.0 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership in JCI remains heavy, with 90.05% of the stock held by institutions and hedge funds, while several analysts have recently raised price targets on the company.
• Johnson Controls reported quarterly EPS of $1.19 on revenue of $6.14 billion and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, implying an annual yield of about 1.1%.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 125,529 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,032,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Maseco LLP increased its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 102.9% in the fourth quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 71.9% in the fourth quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.9% in the fourth quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 895 shares in the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

JCI has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. HSBC upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $144.83 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $88.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.91, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Johnson Controls International plc has a 12-month low of $100.86 and a 12-month high of $149.10. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $140.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.85.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $6.14 billion for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.45% and a return on equity of 19.50%. On average, analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International 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 transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total transaction of $263,160.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 26,215 shares in the company, valued at $3,832,633. The trade was 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.

Johnson Controls International Company 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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