Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 34,020 Shares of Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group sharply cut its Johnson Controls stake in the fourth quarter, selling 34,020 shares and reducing its position by 93.5% to 2,380 shares valued at about $285,000.
• Insider selling also stood out, with VP Lei Zhang Schlitz selling 88,809 shares in May for roughly $12.5 million, trimming ownership by 60.88%.
• Johnson Controls reported quarterly EPS of $1.19 on revenue of $6.14 billion, and analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating with an average price target of $147.63.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 93.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,380 shares of the company's stock after selling 34,020 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $285,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in JCI. Maseco LLP grew 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 worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 62.8% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 123.3% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 335 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $134.05 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $138.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $128.97. Johnson Controls International plc has a 12 month low of $99.11 and a 12 month high of $147.32.

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

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $147.63.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.