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

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 19,207 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,963% compared to the average volume of 931 call options.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

NYSE JCI opened at $82.02 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $54.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.32. Johnson Controls International has a 12-month low of $52.02 and a 12-month high of $87.16. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $81.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $76.08.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 23rd were issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 23rd. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 58.27%.

Insider Activity

In other Johnson Controls International news, CEO George Oliver sold 224,152 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,166,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $96,533,578.24. This trade represents a 16.11 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Marlon Sullivan sold 7,230 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,687,704.10. The trade was a 18.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 647,787 shares of company stock valued at $53,972,452. Insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings 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 period. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 977.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the period. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 32.8% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 543 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $88.00 to $87.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of 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, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $85.00 to $84.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $82.53.

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.