Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 262,999 Shares of Johnson Controls International plc $JCI

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) by 16.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,303,869 shares of the company’s stock after selling 262,999 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $170,742,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in JCI. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at $927,739,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 368.5% during the 3rd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 6,796,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $747,324,000 after acquiring an additional 5,346,130 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 140.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,575,414 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,281,000 after acquiring an additional 2,675,157 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 16,003,486 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,916,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,837,220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Johnson Controls International by 93,932.4% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,809,184 shares of the company’s stock worth $216,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,807,260 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JCI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $169.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $140.14 on Friday. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52 week low of $102.09 and a 52 week high of $151.18. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $141.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.07, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.31.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $6.14 billion for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 14.45% and a return on equity of 19.50%. Sell-side analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 4.92 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is 28.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In other 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 transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the sale, the vice president owned 57,059 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,044,748.41. This trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 26,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,832,633. The trade was a 6.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.