HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Position in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Johnson Controls International by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 713,188 shares valued at about $85.4 million.
• Wall Street remains mixed but generally constructive on JCI: analysts have issued 11 Buy ratings, 10 Holds and 1 Sell, with a consensus target price of $147.63.
• Johnson Controls reported solid quarterly results, posting earnings of $1.19 per share on $6.14 billion in revenue, while also maintaining a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share.

HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 713,188 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 16,113 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.12% of Johnson Controls International worth $85,404,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maseco LLP raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 102.9% during the 4th 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. Roxbury Financial LLC raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 71.9% during the 4th quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 62.8% during the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JCI has been the subject of several recent research reports. HSBC lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Monday, April 13th. They set a "hold" rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $147.63.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

NYSE:JCI opened at $135.32 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $82.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $137.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.86. Johnson Controls International plc has a 1-year low of $96.01 and a 1-year high of $147.32.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted its 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.87 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president owned 57,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,044,748.41. The trade was a 60.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 3,600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.56, for a total transaction of $513,216.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 24,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,460,358.88. The trade was a 12.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by 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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