Short Interest in Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Expands By 28.0%

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,960,000 shares, an increase of 28.0% from the October 31st total of 7,780,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,790,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Johnson Controls International Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE:JCI traded down $0.18 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $83.68. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,720,599 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,865,218. Johnson Controls International has a 52-week low of $51.70 and a 52-week high of $87.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $79.17 and a 200-day moving average of $73.09.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 25th were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 25th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.77%. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 58.27%.

Insider Activity at Johnson Controls International

In other news, CEO George Oliver sold 110,615 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,243,751 shares in the company, valued at $90,383,385.17. This trade represents a 8.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, COO Nathan D. Manning sold 1,167 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.75, for a total value of $84,899.25. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 143,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,438,752. This trade represents a 0.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 741,829 shares of company stock worth $59,952,007. 0.69% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in Johnson Controls International by 195.8% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC raised its holdings in shares of Johnson Controls International by 977.3% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Johnson Controls International by 65.2% during the second quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 527 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the period. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in Johnson Controls International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $47,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $81.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America boosted their price target 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. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $62.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $77.21.

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.