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

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders bought 19,207 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,963% compared to the typical daily volume of 931 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on JCI shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Barclays dropped their target price on Johnson Controls International from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Melius downgraded Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $95.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $90.07.

Johnson Controls International Trading Up 0.1 %

Johnson Controls International stock opened at $76.77 on Friday. Johnson Controls International has a 1 year low of $59.83 and a 1 year high of $91.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $81.53 and its 200-day moving average is $80.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.02. The company has a market cap of $50.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.30, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.22.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 15.11%. On average, equities analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 24th were paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is 56.49%.

Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Nathan D. Manning sold 1,422 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.72, for a total value of $113,361.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 145,502 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,599,419.44. This trade represents a 0.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director George Oliver sold 15,669 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.49, for a total value of $1,214,190.81. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,003,893 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,791,668.57. This represents a 1.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 907,286 shares of company stock worth $77,938,071. Company insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 32.8% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 543 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

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.