Johnson Controls Authorizes $9B Worth of Share Buyback Program

Johnson Controls International plc JCI recently announced rewards for shareholders in the form of share buyback authorization. We believe that the repurchase program is in sync with its commitment to rewarding shareholders handsomely.Under the buyback program, Johnson Controls has been authorized by its board of directors to repurchase $9 billion worth of shares. Subject to market conditions and other factors, the buyback can be carried out in the open market or through several other methods, including the Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b-5-1 trading plans. As noted, this program does not have any expiration date.It’s worth mentioning that JCI currently has a share repurchase program, authorized in 2021. Exiting second-quarter fiscal 2025 (ended March 2025), total share repurchase authorization available under the 2021 program was $1.1 billion.Prior to the share repurchase authorization, JCI’s board of directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of 37 cents per share payable to its shareholders of record as of June 23, 2025. The disbursement will be made on July 18, 2025.Johnson Controls repurchased 8.2 million shares for $660 million in the first six months of fiscal 2025 and paid out dividends worth $489 million to its shareholders.Zacks Rank & Price PerformanceJohnson Controls, with a $69 billion market capitalization, currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The company benefits from solid momentum in the Building Solutions North America segment, aided by an increase in demand for the HVAC platform. Investments in digital offerings, like the OpenBlue platform, are benefiting JCI. Solid shareholder-friendly policies raise the stock’s attractiveness.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchThe company’s shares have gained 24.6% compared with the industry’s growth of 1.5% in the past six months.However, escalating SG&A expenses due to higher transformation costs and transaction costs are likely to dent its bottom line. Also, high debt levels can raise the company’s financial obligations.3 Promising StocksSome better-ranked stocks from the same space are discussed below.Howmet Aerospace HWM currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.HWM delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 8.8%. In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Howmet’s 2025 earnings has increased 6.5%.Federal Signal Corporation FSS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). FSS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 6.4%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Federal Signal’s 2025 earnings has increased 1.6%.AptarGroup, Inc. ATR presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. ATR delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 7.3%. In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for AptarGroup’s 2025 earnings has increased 5.4%.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Johnson Controls International plc (JCI): Free Stock Analysis Report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR): Free Stock Analysis Report Federal Signal Corporation (FSS): Free Stock Analysis Report Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks