Insider Selling: Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) VP Sells 23,417 Shares

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 23,417 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.07, for a total value of $3,584,440.19. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 15,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,298,652.19. This trade represents a 60.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Lei Zhang Schlitz also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, May 8th, Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of Johnson Controls International stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total value of $12,521,180.91.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

JCI stock traded up $0.94 on Wednesday, reaching $154.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,290,069 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,436,626. Johnson Controls International plc has a 52 week low of $103.07 and a 52 week high of $157.06. The company has a market capitalization of $93.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $142.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $137.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $6.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.32%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.05 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Johnson Controls International plc will post 5.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JCI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore started coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They set a “hold” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $176.00 price target on the stock. Finally, HSBC upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Two 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $153.30.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 112,411 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,461,000 after buying an additional 14,446 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at $1,310,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at $1,233,000. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $2,712,000. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $16,426,000. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

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.