Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,450,000 shares, a growth of 7.5% from the January 15th total of 8,790,000 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 4,090,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

NYSE:JCI traded up $0.87 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $90.64. 3,508,119 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,607,523. Johnson Controls International has a 1-year low of $56.28 and a 1-year high of $91.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a 50-day moving average of $81.62 and a 200 day moving average of $77.93.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 15.11%. Research analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International will post 3.52 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 23rd were issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 23rd. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 56.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JCI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $75.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Melius Research restated a “hold” rating and issued a $95.00 price target on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com cut Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus raised Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $91.13.

Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In other news, EVP Marlon Sullivan sold 7,230 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.35, for a total value of $602,620.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 32,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,687,704.10. This trade represents a 18.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO George Oliver sold 10,304 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.14, for a total transaction of $866,978.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,166,992 shares in the company, valued at $98,190,706.88. The trade was a 0.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 1,113,772 shares of company stock worth $95,772,462. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in Johnson Controls International by 195.8% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 420 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Johnson Controls International

Johnson Controls International plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in engineering, manufacturing, commissioning, and retrofitting building products and systems in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific, and Global Products.