Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Sanford C. Bernstein

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. 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 began 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. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, May 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $158.00 to $162.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.85.

Johnson Controls International Stock Down 5.7%

Shares of JCI stock opened at $139.28 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $84.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.32. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $100.86 and a one year high of $149.10. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $139.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $130.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company 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 will post 4.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is 28.62%.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other news, VP Todd M. Grabowski sold 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.20, for a total value of $263,160.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 26,215 shares in the company, valued at $3,832,633. The trade was a 6.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 88,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.99, for a total transaction of $12,521,180.91. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 57,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,044,748.41. This trade represents a 60.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 made changes to their positions in the company. Strategic Investment Advisors MI boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 5,389 shares of the company’s stock worth $645,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,261 shares of the company’s stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Lcnb Corp boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Lcnb Corp now owns 2,094 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $165,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.