Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC Makes New $6.30 Million Investment in Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Key Points

• Van Hulzen Asset Management initiated a new stake in Johnson Controls International, buying 52,572 shares worth about $6.3 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 90.05% of JCI shares held by institutions, and several other funds also recently added to their positions.
• Insider activity was mixed but leaned toward selling: VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares and VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 3,600 shares, while analysts currently rate the stock Hold on average with a price target of $147.63.

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 52,572 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,295,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at $222,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 1st quarter valued at $55,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 83.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 7,049 shares of the company's stock valued at $745,000 after purchasing an additional 3,203 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 12,578 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,328,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 120.7% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 12,359 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,305,000 after purchasing an additional 6,760 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 57,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,044,748.41. This trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 3,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.56, for a total transaction of $513,216.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JCI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $154.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Eleven equities 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $147.63.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

JCI opened at $135.43 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $137.57 and a 200 day moving average of $128.17. Johnson Controls International plc has a fifty-two week low of $96.31 and a fifty-two week high of $147.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.04.

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

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

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 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. 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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