Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $140.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, HSBC upped their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $127.00 to $136.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of JCI stock opened at $138.62 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $141.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $132.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $84.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.32. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $102.09 and a one year high of $149.38.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 19.50% and a net margin of 14.45%.The firm had revenue of $6.14 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts expect that Johnson Controls International will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 represents a 60.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total transaction of $263,160.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,832,633. This represents a 6.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Maseco LLP grew its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 102.9% during the fourth quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Roxbury Financial LLC raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 71.9% in the 4th quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 239 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP lifted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 140.9% during the 4th quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.