Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Traders acquired 19,207 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,963% compared to the typical volume of 931 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $62.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $81.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $77.21.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO George Oliver sold 110,615 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.67, for a total value of $8,038,392.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,243,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $90,383,385.17. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Johnson Controls International news, CEO George Oliver sold 110,615 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.67, for a total value of $8,038,392.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,243,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,383,385.17. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Nathan D. Manning sold 1,167 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.75, for a total transaction of $84,899.25. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 143,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,438,752. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 226,141 shares of company stock valued at $16,904,519. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Metis Global Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 28,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,208,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 3.5% during the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 4,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 4.6% in the second quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 3,715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 1.0% during the third quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 17,011 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,320,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Berry Wealth Group LP increased its position in Johnson Controls International by 0.7% in the third quarter. Berry Wealth Group LP now owns 25,978 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,016,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Johnson Controls International stock opened at $85.71 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company has a market capitalization of $57.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.74, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.29. Johnson Controls International has a fifty-two week low of $51.33 and a fifty-two week high of $87.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $75.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.32.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th were given a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 25th. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.27%.

About Johnson Controls International

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.