Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) Plans $0.37 Quarterly Dividend

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, March 12th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 24th will be paid a dividend of 0.37 per share on Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%.

Johnson Controls International has increased its dividend payment by an average of 8.8% per year over the last three years. Johnson Controls International has a payout ratio of 35.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Johnson Controls International to earn $4.26 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 34.7%.

Johnson Controls International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:JCI traded up $1.58 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $78.57. The company had a trading volume of 1,020,583 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,629,539. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $82.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.64. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $59.83 and a one year high of $91.14. The firm has a market cap of $51.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.92, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 6.83%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Johnson Controls International will post 3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on JCI shares. Melius Research restated a “hold” rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Argus upgraded Johnson Controls International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Johnson Controls International from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Johnson Controls International from $86.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $91.27.

Insider Buying and Selling at Johnson Controls International

In related news, CEO George Oliver sold 129,263 shares of Johnson Controls International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.55, for a total value of $10,799,923.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,203,893 shares in the company, valued at approximately $100,585,260.15. This trade represents a 9.70 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Daniel C. Mcconeghy sold 1,950 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.73, for a total transaction of $171,073.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 24,803 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,175,967.19. The trade was a 7.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 706,050 shares of company stock worth $61,972,667. Insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Johnson Controls International stock. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in shares of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 2,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $222,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

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.