AIT vs. JCI: Applied Industrial vs. Johnson Controls Stock Comparison
How do Applied Industrial (AIT) and Johnson Controls (JCI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Applied Industrial (AIT) and Johnson Controls (JCI) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but AIT is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while JCI is classified in Building Products.
| Profile Item | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. | Johnson Controls International plc |
| Country/Region | United States | Ireland |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Building Products |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Building Products |
| Market Capitalization | 10.35 billion USD | 81.79 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | September 28, 1987 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 15.62% | 17.11% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.49% | 43.46% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.56% | 15.29% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 28.72% | 32.91% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.86 | 1.29 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.42% | -42.32% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 295.41K | 3.57M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.39 | 0.39 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.53 | 0.54 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 22.51% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 21.73% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
22.51%
- Max
- 40.55%
- AIT
- 22.51%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
21.73%
- Max
- 40.55%
- JCI
- 21.73%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.39% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 11.12% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
8.39%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- AIT
- 8.39%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
11.12%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- JCI
- 11.12%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 11.12% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 17.21% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
11.12%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- AIT
- 11.12%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
17.21%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- JCI
- 17.21%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.51% | 21.73% |
| ROA (TTM) | 11.43% | 6.41% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.39% | 11.12% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 11.12% | 17.21% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 30.40% | 37.07% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.84% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 2.81% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Johnson Controls (JCI) reports EPS growth of 99.60%, ranked against its industry; Applied Industrial (AIT) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.84% | 2.81% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.02% | 4.57% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 99.60% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 7.40% | 31.94% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Applied Industrial (AIT) at 2.89 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.90 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for JCI.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
2.89
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- AIT
- 2.89
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
0.90
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- JCI
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Applied Industrial (AIT) at 0.15 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.68 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
0.15
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- AIT
- 0.15
- Min
- 0.00
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
0.68
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- JCI
- 0.68
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.89 | 0.90 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.15 | 0.68 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.27 | 1.86 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Applied Industrial (AIT) reports a yield of 0.71%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
0.71%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- AIT
- 0.71%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- JCI
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Applied Industrial (AIT) at 17.63% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 45.20% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
17.63%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- AIT
- 17.63%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
45.20%
- Max
- 67.39%
- JCI
- 45.20%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.71% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 17.63% | 45.20% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 25.10 and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 28.61 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
25.10
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- AIT
- 25.10
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
28.61
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- JCI
- 28.61
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 2.05 and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 3.19 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
2.05
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- AIT
- 2.05
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
3.19
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- JCI
- 3.19
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 5.50 and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 5.99 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
AIT
Capital Goods industry group
5.50
- Max
- 9.66
- AIT
- 5.50
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
JCI
Capital Goods industry group
5.99
- Max
- 9.66
- JCI
- 5.99
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AIT | JCI |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 25.10 | 28.61 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.05 | 3.19 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.50 | 5.99 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.24% | 3.81% |