Global Retirement Partners LLC Buys 12,497 Shares of Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its Johnson Controls International stake by 236.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 12,497 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 17,783 shares worth about $2.13 million.
• Institutional ownership of JCI remains heavy at 90.05%, and several large funds also boosted positions, including Viking Global Investors, Ameriprise Financial, and First Trust Advisors.
• Analysts remain mixed but generally constructive: the stock has a Hold consensus with a target price of $147.63, while Johnson Controls also reported quarterly EPS of $1.19 and recently paid a $0.40 dividend.

Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 236.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,783 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,497 shares during the quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC's holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $2,129,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of JCI. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 368.5% during the third quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 6,796,942 shares of the company's stock worth $747,324,000 after acquiring an additional 5,346,130 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.8% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,575,414 shares of the company's stock worth $483,281,000 after acquiring an additional 2,675,157 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 23.3% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,519,724 shares of the company's stock worth $386,994,000 after acquiring an additional 665,782 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 148.1% during the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 832,921 shares of the company's stock valued at $87,973,000 after purchasing an additional 497,221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Interval Partners LP lifted its position in Johnson Controls International by 793.0% during the third quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 513,401 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,448,000 after purchasing an additional 455,907 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on JCI. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $139.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $147.63.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 3,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.56, for a total value of $513,216.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 24,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,460,358.88. This trade represents a 12.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Johnson Controls International stock opened at $138.51 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $137.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $128.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.51 billion, a PE ratio of 24.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.37. 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 plc has a 12-month low of $96.31 and a 12-month high of $147.32.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) 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, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.87 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Johnson Controls International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.62%.

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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