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JCI vs. MLI: Johnson Controls vs. Mueller Industries Stock Comparison

How do Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI) 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

Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but JCI is classified in Building Products while MLI is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
Profile ItemJCIMLI
NameJohnson Controls International plcMueller Industries, Inc.
Country/RegionIrelandUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryBuilding ProductsMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryBuilding ProductsIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization81.79 billion USD11.54 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateSeptember 28, 1987February 25, 1991
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

JCI
MLI
GSPC
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Total Return (1Y)17.11%3.68%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)43.46%44.56%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)15.29%32.39%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

JCI
MLI
GSPC
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)32.91%34.44%
Beta (5Y)1.291.01
Max Drawdown (5Y)-42.32%-27.79%
Avg. Volume (3M)3.57M1.61M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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JCI and MLI are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.39-0.02
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.54-0.02

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Johnson Controls (JCI) at 21.73% and Mueller Industries (MLI) at 26.26% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

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%

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

26.26%

Max
40.55%
MLI
26.26%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 17.27% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Johnson Controls (JCI) at 11.12%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

17.27%

Max
27.47%
MLI
17.27%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 19.53% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Johnson Controls (JCI) at 17.21%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

19.53%

Max
36.60%
MLI
19.53%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
ROE (TTM)21.73%26.26%
ROA (TTM)6.41%16.23%
Net Margin (TTM)11.12%17.27%
Operating Margin (TTM)17.21%19.53%
Gross Margin (TTM)37.07%27.25%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Johnson Controls (JCI) at 2.81% and Mueller Industries (MLI) at 10.87% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Johnson Controls (JCI) at 99.60% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Mueller Industries (MLI) at 29.19% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for JCI.

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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Revenue Growth (YoY)2.81%10.87%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.57%1.62%
EPS Growth (YoY)99.60%29.19%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)31.94%5.63%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 4.39 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.90 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

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

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

4.39

Max
5.22
MLI
4.39
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.68 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

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

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

0.01

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
MLI
0.01
Min
0.00
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.904.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.680.01
Net Debt / EBITDA1.86-1.31

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 Mueller Industries (MLI) reports a yield of 1.24%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

1.24%

Max
2.66%
MLI
1.24%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 16.67% 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.

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%

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

16.67%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
MLI
16.67%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.24%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)45.20%16.67%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 13.58 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 28.61 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for MLI, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

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

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

13.58

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
MLI
13.58
Min
3.03
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Johnson Controls (JCI) at 3.19 and Mueller Industries (MLI) at 2.31 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

2.31

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
MLI
2.31
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Mueller Industries (MLI) at 0.33 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 5.99 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.

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

MLI

Capital Goods industry group

0.33

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
MLI
0.33
Min
-1.08
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Johnson Controls (JCI) vs. Mueller Industries (MLI): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Johnson Controls (JCI) and Mueller Industries (MLI)
MetricJCIMLI
P/E Ratio (TTM)28.6113.58
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.192.31
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.990.33
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.81%4.65%