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

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 19,207 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 1,963% compared to the typical daily volume of 931 call options.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

NYSE:JCI opened at $80.85 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $53.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.83, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.31. The business has a 50 day moving average of $81.30 and a 200 day moving average of $74.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.79. Johnson Controls International has a 1-year low of $51.71 and a 1-year high of $87.16.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 23rd will be issued 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 payout ratio is 58.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price 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. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $75.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $85.00 price target for the company. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Johnson Controls International from $84.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson Controls International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $80.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, COO Nathan D. Manning sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.08, for a total value of $231,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 140,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,828,815.04. This trade represents a 2.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO George Oliver sold 110,616 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.60, for a total transaction of $9,358,113.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,244,617 shares in the company, valued at $105,294,598.20. The trade was a 8.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 761,774 shares of company stock worth $62,726,419 over the last ninety days. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JCI. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Johnson Controls International by 12.8% in the third quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 20,857 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,615,000 after purchasing an additional 2,366 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 34.8% in the third quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 62,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,812,000 after buying an additional 16,000 shares during the period. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 9,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $751,000 after acquiring an additional 763 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 27.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 223,989 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,384,000 after acquiring an additional 48,416 shares during the period. Finally, Sfmg LLC bought a new position in Johnson Controls International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

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.