Versant Capital Management Inc Purchases 5,407 Shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI)

Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 399.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,762 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,407 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc's holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $542,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Johnson Controls International by 132.0% during the 4th quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 580 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock traded up $1.57 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $102.75. 1,359,772 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,270,164. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52 week low of $64.31 and a 52 week high of $102.81. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $86.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $83.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.02. The company has a market cap of $67.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.28.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The business had revenue of $5.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. Johnson Controls International's quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 3.64 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 Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. Johnson Controls International's payout ratio is presently 39.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on JCI. Barclays lifted their price target on Johnson Controls International from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Johnson Controls International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $101.00 to $112.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Vertical Research raised Johnson Controls International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $105.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $97.88.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Nathan D. Manning sold 1,422 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.91, for a total value of $123,586.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 144,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,576,224.64. This represents a 0.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director George Oliver sold 184,331 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.49, for a total value of $14,652,471.19. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,019,562 shares in the company, valued at $81,044,983.38. The trade was a 15.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 332,555 shares of company stock worth $27,989,126. Company insiders own 0.54% of the company's stock.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

Johnson Controls International plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in engineering, manufacturing, commissioning, and retrofitting building products and systems in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific, and Global Products.