Wall Street Zen Downgrades Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) to Hold

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Johnson Controls International to “hold” from “buy,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $153.30.
• Johnson Controls reported a quarterly earnings beat, with EPS of $1.42 versus the $1.30 consensus and revenue of $6.61 billion, up 9.3% year over year. The company guided to $5.05 in fiscal 2026 EPS.
• JCI shares opened at $146.85, near their 12-month high of $151.18, while recent analyst price-target increases and strong institutional ownership contrast with insider selling by two vice presidents.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on JCI. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $176.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research raised Johnson Controls International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $169.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, HSBC boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $153.30.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $146.85 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $142.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Johnson Controls International has a 12 month low of $103.07 and a 12 month high of $151.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.31.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.12. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.32%.The firm had revenue of $6.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.05 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson Controls International has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.550-1.550 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.050-5.050 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International will post 5.08 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total transaction of $263,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 26,215 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,832,633. This represents a 6.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JCI. Maseco LLP boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Twin Tree Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 140.9% in the fourth quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 895 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson Controls International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target for JCI to $161 from $154 while retaining a “sector perform” rating, implying additional upside from the stock’s recent trading level. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies increased its price target to $155 from $135. Although it maintained a “hold” rating, the higher target reflects improved expectations following the company’s earnings performance. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Johnson Controls International
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Johnson Controls’ gains within the S&P 500 points to continued investor interest after the earnings beat and strong year-over-year revenue growth. Why Is Johnson Controls Gaining in the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts collectively assign JCI an average “moderate buy” recommendation, suggesting a generally favorable outlook but not unanimous conviction. Johnson Controls Given Average Recommendation of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity indicates elevated trading interest and potentially greater near-term volatility, but it does not establish a clear directional signal. Johnson Controls Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s outlook remains mixed to constructive: price targets have risen, while some analysts continue to recommend holding the shares. Johnson Controls Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

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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