Johnson Controls International (NYSE: JCI) saw its stock price plummet by 5.02% in pre-market trading on Tuesday, despite reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results and raising its full-year guidance. The company's performance highlights the complex factors influencing investor sentiment in the current market environment.
For the quarter ended June 30, Johnson Controls reported adjusted earnings of $1.05 per share, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.00. However, this represents a 7.89% decrease from the $1.14 per share reported in the same period last year. The company's quarterly sales came in at $6.05 billion, beating the expected $5.97 billion but marking a significant 14.94% decline from the $7.23 billion reported a year ago.
Despite the earnings beat, investors appear to be focusing on the substantial year-over-year sales decline. This decrease might be raising concerns about the company's growth trajectory and its ability to maintain momentum in a challenging economic environment. Additionally, while Johnson Controls raised its fiscal 2025 guidance for adjusted EPS to between $3.65 and $3.68, up from the previous forecast of about $3.60, this increase may not have met the market's higher expectations. The company's outlook for Q4, projecting adjusted EPS of $1.14 to $1.17 and organic sales growth in the low single digits, seems to be in line with analyst expectations but may not be sufficiently impressive to counteract concerns about declining sales.