Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Stock Position Boosted by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI - Free Report) by 13.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 224,590 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 26,784 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $17,727,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the 4th quarter worth $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on JCI. UBS Group raised shares of Johnson Controls International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $90.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective 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 reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $91.27.

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Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In related news, VP Nathan D. Manning sold 1,421 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.44, for a total value of $108,621.24. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 148,346 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,339,568.24. The trade was a 0.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO George Oliver sold 205,168 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.03, for a total transaction of $18,060,939.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,260,527 shares in the company, valued at approximately $110,964,191.81. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 706,050 shares of company stock worth $61,972,667 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.54% of the company's stock.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of JCI traded up $2.26 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $79.25. 2,422,737 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,657,227. Johnson Controls International plc has a 1-year low of $59.83 and a 1-year high of $91.14. The stock has a market cap of $52.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.32. 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 50 day moving average of $82.45 and a 200-day moving average of $79.64.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI - Get Free Report) last released 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%. Analysts expect that Johnson Controls International plc will post 3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.87%. Johnson Controls International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.49%.

Johnson Controls International 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.