L & S Advisors Inc Trims Holdings in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• L & S Advisors Inc cut its stake in Johnson Controls International by 30.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 28,098 shares and ending with 65,163 shares valued at about $7.8 million.
• Several other institutional investors increased or initiated positions, and overall hedge funds and other institutions own 90.05% of the company’s stock.
• Analysts remain mixed but slightly constructive: the stock has an average Hold rating with a consensus price target of $147.63, while UBS raised its target to $170 and kept a Buy rating.

L & S Advisors Inc decreased its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 30.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 65,163 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,098 shares during the quarter. L & S Advisors Inc's holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $7,803,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Regents Gate Capital LLP raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 17.4% in the third quarter. Regents Gate Capital LLP now owns 86,144 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,472,000 after purchasing an additional 12,774 shares during the period. Bright Futures Wealth Management LLC. purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the third quarter valued at $583,000. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 23.7% in the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 75,021 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,249,000 after purchasing an additional 14,354 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,276,753 shares of the company's stock valued at $274,235,000 after purchasing an additional 142,429 shares during the period. Finally, Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the third quarter valued at $3,828,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 24,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,460,358.88. The trade was a 12.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value of $12,521,180.91. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,044,748.41. The trade was a 60.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Mizuho lifted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays lifted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $136.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $139.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $147.63.

Johnson Controls International Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE JCI opened at $143.01 on Friday. Johnson Controls International plc has a twelve month low of $96.01 and a twelve month high of $147.32. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $137.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $87.25 billion, a PE ratio of 25.58, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.37.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 19.50% and a net margin of 14.45%.The business had revenue of $6.14 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Johnson Controls International's payout ratio is presently 28.62%.

Johnson Controls International Profile

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.

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.