Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Short Interest Up 6.5% in December

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,650,000 shares, a growth of 6.5% from the December 15th total of 9,060,000 shares. Currently, 1.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,330,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus raised shares of Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com lowered Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Johnson Controls International from $95.00 to $92.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $82.53.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE JCI traded up $0.88 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $81.34. 3,591,080 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,429,269. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.86 billion, a PE ratio of 32.02, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Johnson Controls International has a 52 week low of $52.02 and a 52 week high of $87.16. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $81.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.76.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 23rd were issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 23rd. Johnson Controls International’s payout ratio is currently 58.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Marlon Sullivan sold 7,230 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.35, for a total value of $602,620.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 32,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,687,704.10. The trade was a 18.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO George Oliver sold 110,616 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.60, for a total transaction of $9,358,113.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,244,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $105,294,598.20. This represents a 8.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 647,973 shares of company stock valued at $53,986,862. 0.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of JCI. Wealth Alliance purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the second quarter worth approximately $241,000. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 13.2% during the second quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 11,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $776,000 after buying an additional 1,358 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in Johnson Controls International by 83.1% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 582,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,947,000 after buying an additional 264,187 shares during the period. Seven Eight Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the second quarter valued at about $408,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 18.8% in the second quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 19,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,322,000 after buying an additional 3,153 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.