Johnson Controls International Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 19,207 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 1,963% compared to the average daily volume of 931 call options.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 6,050 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.90, for a total value of $816,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 34,836 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,699,376.40. This represents a 14.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Mark Vergnano purchased 7,665 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $131.94 per share, with a total value of $1,011,320.10. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 37,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,961,207.88. This represents a 25.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $927,739,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 368.5% in the third 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 last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 140.8% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,575,414 shares of the company’s stock worth $483,281,000 after acquiring an additional 2,675,157 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 1,545.8% during the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,134,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $232,705,000 after acquiring an additional 2,004,643 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 13.0% during 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. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JCI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $132.00 price target on Johnson Controls International in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.53.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of JCI stock opened at $134.80 on Thursday. Johnson Controls International has a 52 week low of $68.03 and a 52 week high of $146.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.51 billion, a PE ratio of 25.39, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $133.33 and its 200-day moving average is $120.73.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 17.15% and a net margin of 14.17%.The business had revenue of $5.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.700-4.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.110-1.110 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.13%.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

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.