KBC Group NV Has $13.77 Million Stock Holdings in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI)

KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 17.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 171,917 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,345 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $13,773,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of JCI. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the first quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 132.0% during the fourth quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 580 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

JCI opened at $105.53 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $69.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $96.66 and a 200-day moving average of $86.45. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52-week low of $64.31 and a 52-week high of $105.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 15.13% and a net margin of 10.19%. The firm had revenue of $5.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.78 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 18th. Investors of record on Monday, June 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 23rd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. Johnson Controls International's payout ratio is 39.47%.

Johnson Controls International declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Friday, June 13th that permits the company to repurchase $9.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 13.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on JCI shares. Vertical Research upgraded Johnson Controls International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $105.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $82.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Barclays boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $84.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director George Oliver sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.70, for a total transaction of $9,170,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 904,305 shares in the company, valued at $82,924,768.50. This represents a 9.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Anuruddha Rathninde sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.13, for a total value of $1,546,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 42,574 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,390,656.62. This trade represents a 26.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 146,133 shares of company stock worth $13,556,052 in the last 90 days. 0.54% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Johnson Controls International 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.

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