Group 1 - The article discusses the author's extensive experience in the investment banking sector, highlighting a focus on equity analysis and sector research [1] - The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the narratives behind financial statements, indicating a deep analytical approach to investment [1] - The investment project mentioned is centered on the CIS region, aiming to apply Western analytical tools to identify hidden value in emerging markets [1] Group 2 - The author has a strong educational background, including a bachelor's degree from Antwerp, a master's from KU Leuven, and an MBA from Vlerick, which contributes to their analytical skills [1] - The article reflects a commitment to fundamentals-driven research, suggesting a thorough examination of companies beyond surface-level metrics [1]

Group 1 - ClearBridge Investments reported a significant rally in US equities during Q2 2025, with the S&P 500 returning 10.9% and the Russell Midcap Growth Index advancing 18.2% [1] - Growth stocks outperformed value stocks across market caps, contributing to the strategy's outperformance driven by strong performance in the "mid cap plus" segment and solid stock selection in IT, industrials, and financials [1] - Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) showed a one-month return of 0.91% and a 52-week gain of 46.98%, closing at $106.96 per share with a market capitalization of $69.993 billion [2] Group 2 - Johnson Controls International plc holds a leading position in commercial HVAC for data centers, with a data center business larger than its next two competitors combined, benefiting from the growing focus on AI and infrastructure investments [3] - At the end of Q2 2025, 75 hedge fund portfolios held Johnson Controls International plc, an increase from 59 in the previous quarter, indicating growing interest among institutional investors [4]

Dividend Increases - Verizon Communications has increased its dividend to 69 cents per share, marking a 1.8% increase from the previous payment, with an annual dividend of $2.71 and a dividend yield of 6.17% [3][12] - Johnson Controls International announced an 8.1% increase in its dividend to 40 cents per share, resulting in an annual dividend of $1.48 and a dividend yield of 1.37% [5][8][12] - Broadcom is expected to announce a dividend increase by the end of 2025, with a potential increase of around 13%, which would raise its dividend to approximately 67 cents per share [10][11][12] Company Performance - Verizon has shown a total return of approximately 15.5% in 2025, outperforming the S&P 500's 12.8% return, but lagging behind AT&T's 34.2% return [1][2] - Johnson Controls has achieved a total return of over 37% in 2025, driven by strong performance in its data center vertical, which now accounts for more than 10% of total sales [6][7][12] - Broadcom's free cash flow reached a record of just under $25 billion in the last quarter, indicating strong business performance [10] Subscriber Trends - Verizon's retail postpaid phone business has lost over 400,000 subscribers in 2025, while its broadband business has added more than 600,000 customers [4][12]

Group 1 - Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) is recognized as one of the best-performing European stocks, with JPMorgan maintaining an Overweight rating and a price target of $105 after a visit to the company's headquarters [1] - JPMorgan noted confidence in Johnson Controls' ability to grow margins, which are seen as largely unaffected by the current stable volume environment [1][2] - The new CEO and management team have initiated a multi-year productivity and process optimization program, enhancing visibility in operational areas such as functional overhead, manufacturing, and service operations [2] Group 2 - There is a recognition of slightly reduced opportunities in installation activity, but improvements in other areas are expected to compensate for this [2] - Johnson Controls International specializes in designing, producing, commissioning, and retrofitting building products and systems across various regions including the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific [3]

Key Takeaways JCI raised its quarterly dividend 8% to 40 cents, offering a 1.4% yield at Sept. 10 close.In nine months of fiscal 2025, JCI generated $1.28B free cash flow and paid $733M dividends.JCI authorized a $9B buyback in June 2025, with $9.8B capacity remaining at fiscal Q3-end.In a shareholder-friendly move, Johnson Controls International plc (JCI) has announced a hike in its dividend payout. The company increased its quarterly dividend by 8% to 40 cents per share (annually: $1.60). The move undersc ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 Index closed up +0.30%, reaching a new record high, while the Dow Jones Industrials Index closed down -0.48% and the Nasdaq 100 closed up +0.04% [1][2] - The broader market was supported by a decline in bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield falling -6 basis points to a 5-month low of 4.03% [2][10] Company Performance - Oracle's stock surged +35% to a record high after providing an aggressive outlook for its cloud business, driven by strong demand for AI infrastructure [3][14] - Stocks related to AI computing infrastructure also rallied, with CoreWeave up +17%, Broadcom up +9%, and Nvidia up +3% [15] - Apple experienced a decline of more than -3% due to market disappointment over the launch of new products [4][21] - Salesforce fell more than -3% after Oracle's results indicated weak demand for traditional software [4][20] Economic Indicators - US MBA mortgage applications rose +9.2% in the week ended September 5, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to an 11-month low of 6.49% [6] - The final-demand PPI for August eased to +2.6% year-on-year, lower than expectations, indicating a potential easing of inflationary pressures [6][8] Geopolitical and Global Market Impact - Geopolitical tensions in Europe, particularly related to Poland's actions against drones, are negatively impacting stock markets [5] - China's August CPI fell -0.4% year-on-year, marking the steepest decline in six months, which raises concerns about global growth prospects [5] Future Market Expectations - Markets are pricing in a 100% chance of a -25 basis point rate cut at the upcoming FOMC meeting, with expectations of further cuts by year-end [8]

Core Points - Johnson Controls International plc has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, marking a $0.03 increase from the previous dividend [1] - The dividend will be payable on October 17, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 22, 2025 [1] - Johnson Controls has a long history of consecutive dividend payments since 1887 [1] Company Overview - Johnson Controls is a global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, focusing on transforming environments for living, working, learning, and playing [2] - The company has nearly 140 years of innovation and offers a comprehensive digital offering called OpenBlue, which serves various industries including healthcare, schools, and data centers [3] - Johnson Controls provides the largest portfolio of building technology and software solutions, backed by a global team of experts [3]

Key Takeaways Johnson Controls launched the Silent-Aire CDU platform for high-density data center cooling.The units deliver 500kW to 10MW cooling with flexible designs for varied liquid setups.JCI's thermal solutions cut non-IT energy use by about 50% in many North American data centers.Johnson Controls International plc (JCI) recently unveiled its Silent-Aire Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) platform, extending its data center thermal management portfolio. The latest introduction is a testimony to the compa ...

Company Overview - Johnson Controls International plc (JCI) is an Ireland-based multinational conglomerate specializing in smart, healthy, and sustainable building solutions with a market cap of $70.1 billion [1] - The company engineers, manufactures, and services high-performance systems including HVAC, industrial refrigeration, integrated fire detection and suppression, security systems, and building management platforms [1] Market Position - JCI is classified as a "large-cap stock" due to its market cap exceeding $10 billion, highlighting its size, influence, and dominance in the building products and equipment industry [2] - The company has a highly diversified customer base across sectors such as healthcare, education, data centers, airports, and government facilities, showcasing its scale and technological expertise [2] Stock Performance - JCI reached a 52-week high of $112.63 on June 28 and is currently trading 4.9% below this peak, having rallied 3.3% over the past three months, underperforming the S&P 500 Index which returned 8.3% in the same period [3] - Over the past 52 weeks, JCI has surged 58%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 20.1% gain, and on a year-to-date basis, shares are up 35.8% compared to the S&P 500's 10.4% rally [4] Recent Financial Performance - On July 29, JCI reported Q3 2025 earnings, with adjusted EPS of $1.05 and total revenue of $6.1 billion, both surpassing consensus estimates [5] - The company's backlog increased to $14.6 billion due to healthy demand, with regional strength in EMEA and APAC offsetting softer performance in the Americas [5] - Free cash flow reached $693 million, and despite raising full-year EPS guidance to $3.65–$3.68, shares fell 7.4% as investors focused on margin pressures and near-term growth uncertainties [5]

New Silent-Aire series of Coolant Distribution Units provides reliable and efficient liquid cooling to high-density racks MILWAUKEE , Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader in smart, safe, healthy and sustainable buildings, has expanded its data center thermal management offerings with the launch of its Silent-Aire Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) platform. ...