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

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 19,207 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 1,963% compared to the average volume of 931 call options.

Johnson Controls International Stock Down 0.1 %

JCI stock opened at $82.02 on Friday. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $52.02 and a one year high of $87.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.31 billion, a PE ratio of 32.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.32. 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 fifty day moving average of $81.73 and a 200-day moving average of $76.08.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Monday, December 23rd were paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 23rd. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JCI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of 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, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $62.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $82.53.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, CEO George Oliver sold 224,152 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.72, for a total transaction of $18,541,853.44. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,166,992 shares in the company, valued at $96,533,578.24. This represents a 16.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Marlon Sullivan sold 7,230 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.35, for a total transaction of $602,620.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 32,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,687,704.10. This represents a 18.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 647,787 shares of company stock worth $53,972,452. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JCI. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 195.8% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 420 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 977.3% during the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 474 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares in the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 32.8% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 543 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Johnson Controls International during the third quarter valued at $44,000. 90.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.