Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $124.01, but opened at $132.50. Johnson Controls International shares last traded at $133.8160, with a volume of 1,649,357 shares.

The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.05. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 17.15% and a net margin of 14.17%.The firm had revenue of $5.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.64 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson Controls International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.700-4.700 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.110-1.110 EPS.

Johnson Controls International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.43%.

Key Headlines Impacting Johnson Controls International

Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson Controls International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upgraded guidance — JCI reported Q1 EPS and revenue above Street estimates, raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $4.70 and set Q2 EPS at $1.11, and cited double‑digit order growth and margin improvement. This is the primary driver of the stock rally. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog & data‑center tailwind — Management flagged an $18.2B backlog (up ~20% organically) and stronger demand from data‑center cooling projects, supporting higher revenue visibility and faster earnings growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade / price‑target lift — Wells Fargo raised its price target (to $145) and moved to overweight, signaling institutional support and adding upside to the share narrative (helps trading momentum and flows). Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Director purchase — Director Mark Vergnano bought 7,665 shares (~$1.01M) on Feb 5, increasing his stake ~25.6%, which investors often view as a confidence signal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy call‑option buying — Unusually large options flow: ~19,207 calls traded (up ~1,963% vs. normal volume), indicating speculative bullish interest or hedged directional bets ahead of/after the print.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho price‑target tweak — Mizuho raised its target to $130 but kept a neutral rating (close to current levels), a less decisive signal than Wells Fargo’s overweight action. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sale — An exec VP disclosed a sale of shares worth ~$6.08M on Feb 4, which can temper sentiment despite the director buy (insider sales for liquidity or diversification can be read negatively). Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on JCI. Wolfe Research raised their price target on shares of Johnson Controls International from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Johnson Controls International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Johnson Controls International from $129.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Johnson Controls International from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.11.

Insider Transactions at Johnson Controls International

In other Johnson Controls International news, VP Lei Zhang Schlitz sold 32,031 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.20, for a total transaction of $3,625,909.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 66,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,559,496. This trade represents a 32.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Mark Vergnano acquired 7,665 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $131.94 per share, for a total transaction of $1,011,320.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 37,602 shares in the company, valued at $4,961,207.88. This trade represents a 25.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Johnson Controls International

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson Controls International by 2.5% during the third quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its stake in Johnson Controls International by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 3,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $410,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. apricus wealth LLC increased its stake in Johnson Controls International by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. apricus wealth LLC now owns 2,946 shares of the company’s stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A. increased its stake in Johnson Controls International by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 12,645 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,390,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in Johnson Controls International by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 860 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.05% of the company’s stock.

Johnson Controls International Trading Up 2.1%

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.43. The firm has a market cap of $80.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Johnson Controls International Company Profile

Johnson Controls International plc is a global diversified technology and multi‑industrial company that develops products, services and solutions for buildings and energy storage. The company’s core focus is on improving building efficiency, safety and sustainability through a combination of HVAC equipment, building controls and automation, fire and security systems, and related services. Johnson Controls traces its roots to 1885, when inventor Warren S. Johnson developed an electric room thermostat; over its long history the company has expanded from controls into a broad set of building‑related technologies and, through corporate transactions, into a global provider of integrated building solutions.

Johnson Controls’ product and service portfolio includes heating, ventilation and air‑conditioning equipment, chillers, air handlers and related mechanical systems, together with building automation and control platforms that monitor and manage energy use, indoor environmental quality and security.