Johnson Controls International plc research snapshot

JCI AI Stock Analysis

JCI AI stock analysis reads Johnson Controls International as a higher-quality thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization company whose Q3 fiscal 2026 results strengthened the bull case. The stock closed at $146.66 on July 31, 2026, with market cap math verifying about $88.84 billion using 605.74 million shares outstanding. Q3 sales rose 9% to $6.6 billion with 10% organic growth, orders rose 27% organically, backlog hit a record $21.0 billion up 32% organically, adjusted EPS rose 35% to $1.42, and FY26 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to about $5.05. The data center and mission-critical story is now a material part of the model: management says data center revenue is high-teens as a percentage of FY26 revenue and can grow toward one third of the company over three to five years, while the CDU pipeline has reached $1 billion and shipping starts this quarter. The caution is that the JCI AI stock forecast depends on backlog conversion, service growth staying positive, margin leverage holding, and a forward multiple near 25x on FY27 consensus or about 29x on the raised FY26 guidance not resetting lower.

Current price

$146.66

Market cap

$88.84 billion

AI score

78 / 100

Rating

High-quality thermal management and building systems compounder with a record backlog, raised FY26 guidance, and data center tailwinds, but the premium multiple still needs sustained execution

Trend status

Bullish trend above the 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages after the Q3 2026 report

Data cutoff (updated monthly)

August 4, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
A-level information richness. JCI has a long public-company history, current SEC filings including the Q3 FY26 Form 10-Q, the July 29 earnings release, the Q3 earnings call transcript, analyst coverage from 20 firms, and multiple third-party financial datasets that cross-validated to within 0.00% on the key figures.
bias Check
The main AI bias risk is extrapolating one strong data center quarter into a durable re-rating. The reverse check asks whether 10% organic growth, 27% order growth, and the $21 billion backlog can survive AI capex digestion, the Middle East conflict that pressures EMEA, a service order growth rate of only 4%, and a premium valuation.
ai Confidence
High for reported price, share count, market cap, TTM revenue and EPS, the June 30, 2026 balance sheet, Q3 FY26 results and guidance, analyst targets, and technical indicators computed from one year of daily closes. Medium for forward scenarios because AI capex timing, backlog conversion, service growth, and valuation multiples are uncertain.
investment Certainty
Medium. The business is clearly improving and management raised FY26 guidance, but the stock already trades at a premium to its own history and to the broader industrial group, so the margin of safety is thinner and returns depend on execution catching up to expectations.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityJohnson Controls sells HVAC, controls, fire, security, building management, refrigeration, and digital solutions that customers use to run energy-intensive facilities with higher reliability, precision, and efficiency.High
MoatThe moat comes from installed base, service relationships, a global field organization management says is about twice the scale of the nearest competitor, engineering know-how, YORK absorption technology with over 65 years of history, and trust in uptime-sensitive facilities.Medium-high
ManagementCEO Joakim Weidemanis and CFO Marc Vandiepenbeeck are embedding a proprietary business system, raising FY26 guidance to about $5.05 adjusted EPS, expanding the CDU business toward a $1 billion pipeline with NVIDIA certification, and divesting residential subscriber assets while returning cash to shareholders.Medium-high
Financial trendFY2025 revenue was $23.596 billion and net income to common was $3.291 billion; Q3 FY26 sales rose 9% to $6.6 billion with 10% organic growth, adjusted EPS rose 35% to $1.42, and FY26 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to about $5.05.High
ValuationAt $146.66, audited math shows about 25.5x TTM diluted EPS, 6.72x book value, 53.5x TTM free cash flow per share, 3.55x sales per share, and a 1.09% dividend yield; forward P/E is about 25x on FY27 consensus and about 29x on the raised FY26 guidance.Medium
Technical trendThe stock sits above the 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages with RSI near 58.07, and closed about 3% below the 52-week high of $151.18 set on July 1, 2026.Medium-high
Risk levelRisk is moderate. Backlog and data center demand support the thesis, but AI capex digestion, the Middle East conflict, commercial construction cyclicality, competition from Trane, Carrier, Honeywell, Siemens, and Schneider, a service order growth rate of only 4%, and valuation compression can hurt returns.Medium-high
AI confidenceDescriptive data confidence is high because filings, earnings release, transcript, and third-party datasets agree. Return confidence is lower because the bull case needs the data center mix, backlog conversion, and premium multiple to all hold together.High data confidence
Investment certaintyJCI screens as a quality industrial technology operator with improving momentum, not an obvious bargain. Certainty improves if backlog converts to margin-accretive revenue, service growth inflects higher, and the stock holds the moving average cluster.Medium

JCI AI stock forecast

JCI AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The JCI AI stock forecast uses the $146.66 price reference, the raised FY26 adjusted EPS guidance near $5.05, FY27 consensus near $5.77, and a three-year earnings multiple framework. The audited model produced a bearish value near $107, a base value near $168, and a bullish value near $215 before dividends. These are scenario ranges, not price promises.

Bullish case

$195 to $215

More likely if organic sales stay near or above 10%, the $21.0 billion backlog converts cleanly, data center revenue grows toward one third of the company, the CDU pipeline converts, margins keep expanding, and investors keep paying a 25x to 28x forward multiple.

Base case

$160 to $175

More likely if JCI compounds adjusted EPS from about $5.05 at a double-digit pace, keeps high single digit organic growth, protects margins, converts backlog profitably, and trades near a 25x forward multiple on FY27 consensus.

Bearish case

$100 to $115

More likely if AI capex digestion slows data center demand, the Middle East conflict persists and holds EMEA flat, service growth stays low, pricing and productivity weaken, divestitures create stranded costs, or investors re-rate JCI toward a low-20s multiple.

JCI AI technical analysis

JCI AI Technical Analysis

JCI AI technical analysis uses market and price data available at the August 2, 2026 cutoff. StockAnalysis showed a July 31, 2026 close of $146.66 and a $88.84 billion market cap. StockAnalysis statistics showed RSI near 58.07, and moving averages computed from one year of daily closes were about $142.22 for the 20-day, $142.13 for the 50-day, $140.04 for the 100-day, and $130.70 for the 200-day simple moving average. The setup is a bullish trend above all four averages with room below the 52-week high.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$146.66July 31, 2026 StockAnalysis close used for market cap verification.
Immediate support$142.13 to $142.22The 50-day and 20-day simple moving averages cluster in this zone and are the first trend support after a pullback.
Moving average support$140.04The 100-day simple moving average is the next deeper support below the short-term averages.
Major support$130.70The 200-day simple moving average remains the key long-term trend support if the correction deepens.
Near resistance$147.86 to $148.26Recent daily highs around the June and late July peaks sit just above the current price and are the first upside hurdle.
Breakout resistance$151.18The 52-week high set on July 1, 2026 is the main upside confirmation band above the recent range.
MomentumRSI near 58.07Momentum is constructive but not overbought, so a move toward the 52-week high would need volume confirmation.
Volume7.0 million shares on July 29Earnings-day volume was about double the 20-day average of 3.4 million shares, reflecting active repositioning after the report.
Volatility52-week range of $103.07 to $151.18Beta is 1.32, so JCI tends to move more than the market in both directions.
InvalidationClose below $140.04A decisive close below the 100-day moving average would weaken the trend-following setup and shift attention toward the 200-day average near $130.70.

JCI AI trading strategy

JCI AI Trading Strategy Framework

The JCI AI trading strategy below is a rules-based research framework, not personal advice. It connects trend levels with organic growth, orders, backlog, service revenue, margin leverage, adjusted EPS guidance, data center mix, CDU pipeline, cash flow, and valuation discipline.

Trend-following setup

Watch for JCI to hold above the $142 to $143 moving average cluster, reclaim the $147.86 to $148.26 zone, and retest $151.18 while company updates confirm data center demand, organic growth, margin expansion, and raised guidance holding.

A close below $140.04, weaker fiscal 2027 commentary, or evidence that backlog is not converting into profitable revenue should reduce trend-following confidence.

Mean-reversion setup

If JCI pulls back toward the 100-day average near $140 or the 200-day average near $130.70 without a change in orders, backlog, or guidance, compare the entry price with the base scenario and the stock own premium multiple.

Do not treat a pullback as cheap if AI capex digestion slows, service growth stays low, Middle East pressure spreads, debt metrics worsen, or peers show broader building technology demand pressure.

Fundamental monitor

Track organic sales growth, orders, backlog, service revenue, Americas margin, APAC growth, data center revenue mix, CDU pipeline conversion, fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS near $5.05, free cash flow conversion near 100%, net debt, share repurchases, and dividend coverage.

Position sizing should reflect that JCI is a better growth story than a year ago, but the forward multiple means disappointment would be more costly than it was before the re-rating.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Customers pay Johnson Controls because large buildings and data centers need reliable thermal management, controls, fire, security, service, and energy optimization systems that reduce operating risk, power use, and downtime.

Moat

The moat is built from installed base, service contracts, building integration depth, YORK absorption technology, a global field organization management says is about twice the scale of the nearest competitor, engineering know-how, and trust in uptime-sensitive environments.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if AI capex gets digested before the backlog converts, the Middle East conflict keeps holding EMEA flat, service growth stays at low single digits, data center competition drives pricing down, divestitures create stranded costs, or investors decide the thermal management re-rating is already too generous.

Management

Joakim Weidemanis became CEO in 2024 and is being judged on the proprietary business system, operational execution, margin expansion, portfolio simplification, disciplined capital returns, and the ability to turn the record backlog and the CDU pipeline into durable cash flow.

Industry trend

Thermal management for AI factories, energy efficiency, building automation, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and decarbonization are long-term demand drivers. Management guides that data center revenue can reach about one third of the company over three to five years, which is a real shift in mix but still tied to capital cycles.

Valuation and margin of safety

At $146.66, JCI is priced as a successful execution and data center growth story. The margin of safety depends on backlog quality, organic growth staying near guidance, service growth inflecting, free cash flow conversion near 100%, and avoiding a reset from the current premium multiple.

Source-backed data

JCI Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
JCI quote reference$146.66 stock price at the July 31, 2026 closeStockAnalysis JCI overview pageAugust 2, 2026
Market capitalization verification$88.84 billion calculated from $146.66 x 605.74 million shares, with 0.00% variance versus reported market capPineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis statisticsAugust 2, 2026
Shares outstanding605.74 million shares outstanding, down 6.86% year over yearStockAnalysis statisticsAugust 2, 2026
FY2025 revenue$23.596 billion, cross-validated against Macrotrends and StockAnalysis with 0.00% varianceMacrotrends and StockAnalysis financialsAugust 2, 2026
FY2025 net income to common$3.291 billion, cross-validated against Macrotrends and StockAnalysis with 0.00% varianceMacrotrends and StockAnalysis financialsAugust 2, 2026
Q3 fiscal 2026 sales and EPS$6.6 billion sales, up 9%, organic sales up 10%, GAAP EPS of $1.23, and adjusted EPS of $1.42, up 35% year over yearJohnson Controls Q3 fiscal 2026 results releaseAugust 2, 2026
Orders and backlogQ3 organic orders up 27% year over year and backlog of $21.0 billion, up 32% organically at a record levelJohnson Controls Q3 fiscal 2026 results releaseAugust 2, 2026
Cash and debt$641 million cash and equivalents, $9.475 billion total debt, and $8.834 billion net debt at June 30, 2026StockAnalysis balance sheetAugust 2, 2026
GuidanceQ4 FY26 guidance of 9% to 10% organic sales growth and adjusted EPS near $1.55; FY26 guidance raised to about 8% organic growth, 45% to 50% operating leverage, adjusted EPS near $5.05, and adjusted free cash flow conversion near 100%Johnson Controls Q3 fiscal 2026 results releaseAugust 2, 2026
Data center mix and CDUManagement expects data center revenue in the high teens as a percentage of FY26 revenue and growing toward about one third over three to five years; the CDU pipeline has reached $1 billion with shipping starting in Q4 and NVIDIA certificationJohnson Controls Q3 fiscal 2026 earnings call transcriptAugust 2, 2026
Valuation math25.5x TTM EPS, 6.72x book value, 53.5x TTM free cash flow per share, 3.55x revenue per share, 1.09% dividend yield, and forward P/E near 25x on FY27 consensusPineify financial_rigor.py valuation verificationAugust 2, 2026
Analyst consensusConsensus rating of Buy from 20 analysts with an average 12-month price target of $162.05, a low target of $129, and a high target of $186StockAnalysis forecast pageAugust 2, 2026
Technical indicatorsRSI near 58.07, 20-day SMA near $142.22, 50-day SMA near $142.13, 100-day SMA near $140.04, and 200-day SMA near $130.70 computed from one year of daily closesStockAnalysis statistics and price historyAugust 2, 2026
Business scopeJohnson Controls describes itself as a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization for data centers, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher educationJohnson Controls company profile and investor materialsAugust 2, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This JCI AI stock analysis page is an informational research tool only. It is not investment advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell Johnson Controls International securities. Forecast scenarios are based on available public data, audited calculations, and assumptions that can be wrong. Always do your own research and consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.