Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Buys 78,766 Shares of Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners boosted its Johnson Controls International stake by 62.7% in the first quarter, buying 78,766 more shares and bringing its total holding to 204,295 shares worth about $26.75 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on JCI, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.85; several firms recently raised targets, including UBS to $180.
• Johnson Controls reported $1.19 EPS on $6.14 billion in revenue in its latest quarter and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, equal to a 1.1% annualized yield.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its stake in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 62.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 204,295 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 78,766 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $26,752,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JCI. Maseco LLP lifted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 102.9% in the fourth quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Twin Tree Management LP grew its stake in Johnson Controls International by 140.9% in the 4th quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 747.1% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 288 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $171.00 target price on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Barclays raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $136.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore started coverage on Johnson Controls International in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They set a "hold" rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Johnson Controls International from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of JCI stock opened at $143.35 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.31. Johnson Controls International plc has a 1 year low of $102.09 and a 1 year high of $151.18. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $141.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $136.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $6.14 billion during the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.45% and a return on equity of 19.50%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Johnson Controls International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.62%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the vice president directly 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. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,044,748.41. This trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Johnson Controls International

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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