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

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Investors purchased 19,207 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 1,963% compared to the typical volume of 931 call options.

Johnson Controls International Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $80.99 on Thursday. Johnson Controls International has a twelve month low of $51.71 and a twelve month high of $87.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company’s 50 day moving average is $81.14 and its 200 day moving average is $74.38. The company has a market cap of $53.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.31.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 23rd will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 23rd. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on JCI shares. UBS Group started coverage on Johnson Controls International in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. Argus raised Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Bank of America raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $81.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Johnson Controls International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $80.93.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In related news, EVP Marlon Sullivan sold 7,230 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.35, for a total transaction of $602,620.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 32,246 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,687,704.10. The trade was a 18.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO George Oliver sold 110,615 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.79, for a total transaction of $8,494,125.85. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,243,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $95,507,639.29. This trade represents a 8.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 761,774 shares of company stock valued at $62,726,419. Corporate insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Metis Global Partners LLC boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 0.4% in the third quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 28,446 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,208,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 3.5% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 4,309 shares of the company’s stock worth $334,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC grew its position in Johnson Controls International by 4.6% during the second quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 3,715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 1.0% during the third quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 17,011 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,320,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Berry Wealth Group LP increased its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 0.7% during the third quarter. Berry Wealth Group LP now owns 25,978 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,016,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

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.