Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Raises Stock Position in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management increased its Johnson Controls International stake by 143% in the fourth quarter, ending with 105,866 shares valued at about $12.7 million.
• Several other institutional investors also raised or initiated positions, and 90.05% of JCI’s stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Analysts are mixed on the stock: JCI has a Hold consensus rating with an average price target of $147.63, while recent insider activity included notable share sales by two vice presidents.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 143.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 105,866 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 62,291 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $12,677,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Maseco LLP grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 102.9% in the 4th quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 71.9% in the 4th quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 62.8% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth $38,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 57,059 shares in the company, valued at $8,044,748.41. This trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 3,600 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.56, for a total transaction of $513,216.00. Following the sale, the vice president 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

JCI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $139.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $147.63.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

JCI stock opened at $135.43 on Friday. Johnson Controls International plc has a 12 month low of $96.31 and a 12 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $137.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.17. The stock has a market cap of $82.63 billion, a PE ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.37.

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

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

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

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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