Traders Buy Large Volume of Johnson Controls International Call Options (NYSE:JCI)

Key Points

• Traders bought an unusually large volume of calls—19,207 call options on JCI in one day, a 1,963% increase versus the typical daily volume of 931, indicating heavy bullish positioning.
• Insider activity was mixed: Director Mark Vergnano acquired 7,665 shares (~$1.01M) boosting his stake 25.6%, while VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 6,050 shares (~$816K); corporate insiders collectively own 0.29% of the company.
• Johnson Controls beat quarter expectations with $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 expected and $5.80B revenue, issued FY‑2026 guidance of 4.70 EPS, and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with a target of $137.05.

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 19,207 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,963% compared to the typical volume of 931 call options.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In related news, Director Mark Vergnano acquired 7,665 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $131.94 per share, with a total value of $1,011,320.10. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 37,602 shares in the company, valued at $4,961,207.88. The trade was a 25.60% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 6,050 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.90, for a total value of $816,145.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 34,836 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,699,376.40. This represents a 14.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maseco LLP boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 102.9% during the fourth quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Roxbury Financial LLC boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 71.9% during the fourth quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 140.9% during the fourth quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new stake in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on JCI. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $137.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $137.05.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $137.25 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $84.00 billion, a PE ratio of 25.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $137.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.84. Johnson Controls International has a 12 month low of $73.55 and a 12 month high of $146.49.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.64 billion. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 17.15%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.700-4.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.110-1.110 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Johnson Controls International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.13%.

Key Stories Impacting Johnson Controls International

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson Controls International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Report that JCI is weighing roughly $4.5 billion in divestitures, which investors interpret as a potential value-unlocking move that could simplify the business or accelerate buybacks/returns of capital. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup analyst coverage suggests upside for the stock, signaling at least one major sell-side voice is constructive on JCI’s outlook and could support investor sentiment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore has begun coverage of JCI — new institutional coverage increases investor attention and may add liquidity and debate, but the immediate directional impact depends on the published view. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $135 (maintains a "hold"), which is slightly below the recent trading level — this is a modest technical adjustment rather than a bullish endorsement. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance piece highlights data and integration challenges in building-technology services that could shape demand; this is a thematic item to watch for medium-term revenue mix and margin implications. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: BNP Paribas (Exane) initiated coverage with a "strong sell"/underperform and a $120 price target, a notably bearish view that increases downside narrative and likely pressured the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage summaries aggregated on Zacks/TickerReport also cite the BNP initiation and emphasize downside risk from the new sell-side view. Article Title

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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