JCI vs. SYM: Johnson Controls vs. Symbotic Stock Comparison
How do Johnson Controls (JCI) and Symbotic (SYM) 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 Symbotic (SYM) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but JCI is classified in Building Products while SYM is classified in Machinery.
Johnson Controls (JCI) has more than two decades of public-market history since September 28, 1987, whereas Symbotic (SYM) listed on March 9, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Johnson Controls International plc | Symbotic Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | Ireland | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Building Products | Machinery |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Building Products | Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components |
| Market Capitalization | 81.79 billion USD | 22.29 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | September 28, 1987 | March 9, 2021 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 17.11% | -44.66% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 43.46% | 6.78% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 15.29% | 30.90% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Symbotic (SYM) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.05, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Johnson Controls (JCI) is closer to market-like at 1.29 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 32.91% | 78.15% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.29 | 2.05 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -42.32% | -72.46% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.57M | 1.61M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.39 | -0.63 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.54 | -0.93 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) at 21.73% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Symbotic (SYM) at 4.39% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for JCI.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
4.39%
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- SYM
- 4.39%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) at 11.12% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Symbotic (SYM) at 0.31% retains only a bottom-quartile 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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.31%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- SYM
- 0.31%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) at 17.21% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Symbotic (SYM) at 4.59% operates in the bottom quartile.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
4.59%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- SYM
- 4.59%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 21.73% | 4.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.41% | 0.32% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 11.12% | 0.31% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 17.21% | 4.59% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 37.07% | 21.27% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Symbotic (SYM) at 25.65% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 2.81% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SYM.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Johnson Controls (JCI) reports EPS growth of 99.60%, ranked against its industry; Symbotic (SYM) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.81% | 25.65% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.57% | 55.87% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 99.60% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 31.94% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.90 and Symbotic (SYM) at 1.33 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
1.33
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- SYM
- 1.33
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Symbotic (SYM) at 0.02 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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.02
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- SYM
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.90 | 1.33 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.68 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.86 | -30.44 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Johnson Controls (JCI) nor Symbotic (SYM) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- SYM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Symbotic (SYM) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Johnson Controls (JCI) reports a payout of 45.20%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- SYM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.20% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) at 28.61 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Symbotic (SYM) at 460.25 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for SYM’s trailing earnings.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
460.25
- SYM
- 460.25
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Johnson Controls (JCI) at 3.19 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Symbotic (SYM) at 8.42 clears its benchmark range — SYM looks notably rich on sales.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
8.42
- SYM
- 8.42
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Johnson Controls (JCI) at 5.99 and Symbotic (SYM) at 6.70 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
6.70
- Max
- 9.66
- SYM
- 6.70
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | JCI | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 28.61 | 460.25 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.19 | 8.42 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.99 | 6.70 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.81% | 2.46% |