Johnson Controls International 10-Q 2023-12-31

Filed 2024-01-30. 8 sections, 212K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON

Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

☒QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2023

OR

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period From _____ To _____

Commission File Number: 001-13836

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Ireland98-0390500
(Jurisdiction of Incorporation)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
One Albert Quay, Cork, Ireland, T12 X8N6(353) 21-423-5000
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Postal Code)(Registrant's Telephone Number)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

Title of Each ClassTrading SymbolName of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Ordinary Shares, Par Value $0.01JCINew York Stock Exchange
3.625% Senior Notes due 2024JCI24ANew York Stock Exchange
1.375% Notes due 2025JCI25ANew York Stock Exchange
3.900% Notes due 2026JCI26ANew York Stock Exchange
0.375% Senior Notes due 2027JCI27New York Stock Exchange
3.000% Senior Notes due 2028JCI28New York Stock Exchange
1.750% Senior Notes due 2030JCI30New York Stock Exchange
2.000% Sustainability-Linked Senior Notes due 2031JCI31New York Stock Exchange
1.000% Senior Notes due 2032JCI32New York Stock Exchange
4.900% Senior Notes due 2032JCI32ANew York Stock Exchange
4.250% Senior Notes due 2035JCI35New York Stock Exchange
6.000% Notes due 2036JCI36ANew York Stock Exchange
5.70% Senior Notes due 2041JCI41BNew York Stock Exchange
5.250% Senior Notes due 2041JCI41CNew York Stock Exchange
4.625% Senior Notes due 2044JCI44ANew York Stock Exchange
5.125% Notes due 2045JCI45BNew York Stock Exchange
6.950% Debentures due December 1, 2045JCI45ANew York Stock Exchange
4.500% Senior Notes due 2047JCI47New York Stock Exchange
4.950% Senior Notes due 2064JCI64ANew York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filerþAccelerated filer☐Smaller reporting company☐
Non-accelerated filer¨Emerging growth company☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No þ

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

ClassOrdinary Shares Outstanding at December 31, 2023
Ordinary Shares, $0.01 par value per share681,477,046

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC

FORM 10-Q

Report Index

Page
Part I. Financial Information
Item 1. Financial Statements (unaudited)
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Three Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and 20223
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Three Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and 20224
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at December 31, 2023 and September 30, 20235
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and 20226
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the Three Month Periods Ended December 31, 2023 and 20227
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements8
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations36
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk46
Item 4. Controls and Procedures46
Part II. Other Information
Item 1. Legal Proceedings47
Item 1A. Risk Factors48
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds48
Item 5. Other Information48
Item 6. Exhibits49
Signatures50

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Johnson Controls International plc

Consolidated Statements of Income

(in millions, except per share data; unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,
20232022
Net sales
Products and systems$4,489$4,556
Services1,6051,512
6,0946,068
Cost of sales
Products and systems3,1623,113
Services940864
4,1023,977
Gross profit1,9922,091
Selling, general and administrative expenses1,5131,571
Restructuring and impairment costs39345
Net financing charges9967
Equity income6262
Income before income taxes403170
Income tax (benefit) provision(1)14
Net income404156
Less: Income attributable to noncontrolling interests3038
Net income attributable to Johnson Controls$374$118
Earnings per share attributable to Johnson Controls
Basic$0.55$0.17
Diluted0.550.17

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Johnson Controls International plc

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(in millions; unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,
20232022
Net income$404$156
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments6290
Realized and unrealized losses on derivatives(42)(17)
Pension and postretirement plans(1)(1)
Other comprehensive income1972
Total comprehensive income423228
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests:
Net income3038
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments131
Realized and unrealized losses on derivatives(4)(6)
Other comprehensive income (loss)(3)

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Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Cautionary Statements for Forward-Looking Information

Unless otherwise indicated, references to "Johnson Controls," the "Company," "we," "our" and "us" in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q refer to Johnson Controls International plc and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The Company has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are, or could be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this document, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, synergies and integration opportunities, capital expenditures, debt levels and market outlook are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" and terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The Company cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: The Company's ability to develop or acquire new products and technologies that achieve market acceptance and meet applicable quality and regulatory requirements; the ability to manage general economic, business and capital market conditions, including the impact of recessions, economic downturns and global price inflation; fluctuations in the cost and availability of public and private financing for the Company's customers; the ability to innovate and adapt to emerging technologies, ideas and trends in the marketplace, including the incorporation of technologies such as artificial intelligence; the ability to manage macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility, including shortages impacting the availability of raw materials and component products and the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas; managing the risks and impacts of potential and actual security breaches, cyberattacks, privacy breaches or data breaches, including business, service, or operational disruptions, the unauthorized access to or disclosure of data, financial loss, reputational damage, increased response and remediation costs, legal, and regulatory proceedings or other unfavorable outcomes; the Company's ability to remediate its material weakness; maintaining and improving the capacity, reliability and security of the Company's enterprise information technology infrastructure; the ability to manage the lifecycle cybersecurity risk in the development, deployment and operation of the Company's digital platforms and services; changes to laws or policies governing foreign trade, including economic sanctions, tariffs, foreign exchange and capital controls, import/export controls or other trade restrictions; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes or uncertainty in laws, regulations, rates, policies, or interpretations that impact the Company's business operations or tax status; the ability to adapt to global climate change, climate change regulation and successfully meet the Company's public sustainability commitments; the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; the risk of infringement or expiration of intellectual property rights; the Company's ability to manage disruptions caused by catastrophic or geopolitical events, such as natural disasters, armed conflict, political change, climate change, pandemics and outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments; the ability of the Company to drive organizational improvement; any delay or inability of the Company to realize the expected benefits and synergies of recent portfolio transactions; the ability to hire and retain senior management and other key personnel; the tax treatment of recent portfolio transactions; significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities associated with such transactions; labor shortages, work stoppages, union negotiations, labor disputes and other matters associated with the labor force; and the cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements. A detailed discussion of risks related to Johnson Controls' business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Johnson Controls' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on December 14, 2023, which is available at www.sec.gov and www.johnsoncontrols.com under the "Investors" tab. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Johnson Controls assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document.

Overview

Johnson Controls International plc, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. The Company’s products, services, systems and solutions advance the safety, comfort and intelligence of spaces to serve people, places and the planet. The Company is committed to helping its customers win and creating greater value for all of its stakeholders through its strategic focus on buildings.

The Company is a global leader in engineering, manufacturing, commissioning and retrofitting building products and systems, including residential and commercial heating, ventilating, air-conditioning ("HVAC") equipment, industrial refrigeration systems, controls, security systems, fire-detection systems and fire-suppression solutions. The Company further serves customers by providing technical services, including maintenance, management, repair, retrofit and replacement of equipment (in the HVAC, industrial refrigeration, controls, security and fire-protection space), energy-management consulting and data-driven “smart building” services and solutions powered by its OpenBlue software platform and capabilities. The Company partners with customers by leveraging its broad product portfolio and digital capabilities powered by OpenBlue, together with its direct channel service and solutions capabilities, to deliver outcome-based solutions across the lifecycle of a building that address customers’ needs to improve energy efficiency, enhance security, create healthy environments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The following information should be read in conjunction with the September 30, 2023 consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, along with management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 filed with the SEC on December 14, 2023. References in the following discussion and analysis to "Three Months," "First Quarter" or similar language refer to the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Macroeconomic Trends

Much of the demand for the Company’s products and solutions is driven by construction, facility expansion, retrofit and maintenance projects within the commercial, institutional, industrial, data center, governmental and residential sectors. Construction projects are heavily dependent on general economic conditions, localized demand for real estate and the availability of credit, public funding or other financing sources. Positive or negative fluctuations in construction, industrial facility expansion, retrofit activity, maintenance projects and other capital investments in buildings within the sectors that the Company serves, as well as availability of credit, financing or funding for such projects, could have a corresponding impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company observed a softening of economic conditions in China, negatively impacting the performance of the Building Solutions Asia Pacific segment. The Company expects economic conditions in China to remain soft throughout the remainder of fiscal 2024, which could impact the performance of the Building Solutions Asia Pacific segment.

As a result of the Company’s global presence, a significant portion of its revenues and expenses is denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Company is therefore subject to non-U.S. currency risks and non-U.S. exchange exposure. While the Company employs financial instruments to hedge some of its transactional foreign exchange exposure, these activities do not insulate it completely from those exposures. In addition, the currency exposure from the translation of non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries are not able to be hedged. Exchange rates can be volatile and a substantial weakening or strengthening of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar could increase or reduce the Company’s profit margin, respectively, and impact the comparability of results from period to period. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, revenue and profits were positively impacted by movements in foreign exchange rates against the U.S. dollar.

The Company continues to observe trends demonstrating increased interest and demand for its products and services that enable smart, safe, efficient and sustainable buildings. This demand is driven in part by government tax incentives, building performance standards and other regulations designed to limit emissions and combat climate change. In particular, legislative and regulatory initiatives such as the U.S. Climate Smart Buildings Initiative, U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive include provisions designed to fund and encourage investment in decarbonization and digital technologies for buildings. This demand is supplemented by an increase in commitments in both the public and private sectors to reduce emissions and/or achieve net zero emissions. The Company seeks to capitalize on these trends to drive growth by developing and delivering technologies and solutions to create smart, sustainable and healthy buildings. The Company is investing in new digital and product capabilities, including its OpenBlue platform, to enable it to deliver sustainable, high-efficiency products and tailored services to enable customers to achieve their sustainability goals. The Company is leveraging its install base, together with data-driven products and services, to offer outcome-based solutions to customers with a focus on generating accelerated growth in services and recurring revenue.

The Company has experienced, and could continue to experience, increased material cost inflation and component shortages, as well as disruptions and delays in its supply chain, as a result of global macroeconomic trends, including increased global demand, geopolitical and economic tensions, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, and labor shortages. Actions taken by the Company to mitigate supply chain disruptions and inflation, including expanding and

redistributing its supplier network, supplier financing, price increases and productivity improvements, have generally been successful in offsetting some, but not all, of the impact of these trends. The collective impact of these trends has been favorable to revenue due to increased demand and price increases to offset inflation, while negatively impacting margins due to supply chain disruptions and cost pressures. The Company has observed improved margins as supply chain disruptions have largely been resolved and higher priced backlog is converted to sales, but this improvement has been offset by lower volumes. Although the Company has experienced recent improvement, further disruptions, shortages and cost increases could occur in the future, the effect of which will depend on the Company’s ability to successfully mitigate and offset the impact of these events.

The extent to which the Company’s results of operations and financial condition are impacted by these and other factors in the future will depend on developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. See the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Johnson Controls' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on December 14, 2023.

Cybersecurity Incident

During the weekend of September 23, 2023, the Company experienced a cybersecurity incident impacting its internal information technology ("IT") infrastructure and applications. The incident was detected shortly after receiving reports of outages to certain of the Company’s systems. Promptly after detecting the issue, the Company implemented its incident management and response plan and business continuity plans, including implementing remediation measures to mitigate the impact of the incident and restore affected systems and functions. The Company also engaged leading cybersecurity experts and other specialized consultants to assist in its investigation and remediation of the incident, as well as the restoration of impacted applications and systems. The Company’s investigation and remediation efforts remain ongoing, including the analysis of data accessed, exfiltrated or otherwise impacted during the cybersecurity incident. Based on the information reviewed to date, the Company believes the unauthorized activity has been contained and has not observed evidence of any impact to its digital products, services and solutions, including OpenBlue and Metasys.

The cybersecurity incident consisted of unauthorized access, data exfiltration and deployment of ransomware by a third party to a portion of the Company’s internal IT infrastructure. The incident caused disruptions and limitation of access to portions of the Company’s business applications supporting aspects of the Company’s operations and corporate functions, which disruptions and limitations continued into the early portion of the first quarter of fiscal 2024. To date, the Company has restored the impacted applications and systems.

The impact on net income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 of lost and deferred revenues, net of revenues deferred at the end of fiscal 2023 and recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, and expenses during the quarter was approximately $27 million. These impacts were primarily attributable to expenses associated with the response to, and remediation of, the incident, and are net of insurance recoveries.

The Company expects to incur additional expenses associated with the response to, and remediation of, the incident throughout fiscal 2024, most of which the Company expects to incur in the first half of the year. These expenses include third-party expenditures, including IT recovery and forensic experts and others performing professional services to investigate and remediate the incident, as well as incremental operating expenses incurred from the resulting disruption to the Company’s business operations. Further, the cybersecurity incident caused disruptions to certain of the Company’s billing systems, which negatively impacted cash provided from operations during the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The overall impact of the cybersecurity incident in fiscal 2024 is not expected to be material to net income, net of insurance recoveries, or cash flows from continuing operations; however, the timing of recognizing the insurance recoveries may differ from the timing of recognizing the associated expenses.

The Company maintains insurance covering certain losses associated with cybersecurity incidents. The Company currently expects that a substantial portion of its direct costs incurred related to containing, investigating and remediating the incident, as well as business interruption losses, will be reimbursed through insurance recoveries.

Restructuring Activities

In the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2023, the Company developed a restructuring plan which included workforce reductions and other actions focused on continued scaling of selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") to its planned growth. The costs of the plan were recorded to restructuring and impairment costs in the consolidated statements of

income. An additional $39 million of restructuring charges related to this plan were incurred in the three months ended December 31, 2023. Additional restructuring charges are expected in subsequent quarters. The Company expects savings from the restructuring initiatives to be substantially offset by incremental ongoing operating costs and investments to grow the business.

Net Sales

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Net sales$6,094$6,068—%

The increase in consolidated net sales for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 was due to the net impact of acquisitions and divestitures ($41 million) and the favorable impact of foreign currency translation ($28 million), partially offset by lower organic sales ($43 million). Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation and business acquisitions and divestitures, consolidated net sales decreased 1% as compared to the prior year, primarily attributable to lower volumes, partially offset by higher pricing. Refer to the "Segment Analysis" below within this Item 2 for a discussion of net sales by segment.

Cost of Sales / Gross Profit

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Cost of sales$4,102$3,9773%
Gross profit1,9922,091-5%
% of sales32.7%34.5%

Cost of sales increased and gross profit decreased for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, and gross profit as a percentage of sales decreased by 180 basis points. Gross profit and gross profit as a percentage of sales both decreased due to lower volumes, partially offset by favorable price/cost. Refer to the "Segment Analysis" below within this Item 2 for a discussion of segment earnings before interest, taxes and amortization ("EBITA").

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Selling, general and administrative expenses$1,513$1,571-4%
% of sales24.8%25.9%

SG&A for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 decreased $58 million, and SG&A as a percentage of sales decreased by 110 basis points. The decrease in SG&A was primarily due to nonrecurring costs incurred during the prior year including a loss associated with a fire at a leased warehouse facility and one-time transaction and separation costs, and higher mark-to-market gains, partially offset by costs recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 related to the cybersecurity incident. Refer to the "Segment Analysis" below within this Item 2 for a discussion of segment EBITA.

Restructuring and Impairment Costs

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Restructuring and impairment costs$39$345-89%

Restructuring and impairment costs for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 included $39 million in severance and other charges resulting from restructuring initiatives.

Restructuring and impairment costs for the three-month period ended December 31, 2022 included $288 million of impairment costs related to the North America and Global Retail business which was previously classified as held-for-sale and $57 million in severance and other charges resulting from restructuring initiatives.

Refer to Note 4, "Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale," and Note 17, "Restructuring and Related Costs," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further disclosure related to the Company's restructuring plans and impairment costs.

Net Financing Charges

Three Months Ended December 31,
20232022Change
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest costs$91$6932%
Other financing charges2410140%
Interest income(5)(4)25%
Net foreign exchange results for financing activities(11)(8)38%
Net financing charges$99$6748%

Refer to Note 10, "Debt and Financing Arrangements," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further disclosure related to the Company's debt.

Income Tax (Benefit) Provision

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Income tax (benefit) provision$(1)$14*
Effective tax rate(0.2%)8.2%
  • Measure not meaningful

The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to Swiss tax reform and the benefits of continuing global tax planning, partially offset by the establishment of a deferred tax liability on the outside basis difference of the Company's investment in certain consolidated subsidiaries and tax rate differentials. Refer to Note 18, "Income Taxes," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further detail.

Segment Analysis

Management evaluates the performance of its business units based primarily on segment EBITA, which represents income before income taxes and noncontrolling interests, excluding general corporate expenses, intangible asset amortization, net financing charges, restructuring and impairment costs, and net mark-to-market adjustments related to pension and postretirement plans and restricted asbestos investments.

Net Sales

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Building Solutions North America$2,487$2,3675%
Building Solutions EMEA/LA1,0389756%
Building Solutions Asia Pacific507646-22%
Global Products2,0622,080-1%
$6,094$6,068—%
  • The increase in Building Solutions North America was primarily due to organic growth, including higher prices ($98 million), incremental sales related to business acquisitions ($16 million) and the favorable impact of foreign currency translation ($6 million). Excluding the impacts of foreign currency translation and business acquisitions and divestitures, sales growth was led by double-digit growth in Applied HVAC & Controls.

  • The increase in Building Solutions EMEA/LA was primarily due to the favorable impact of foreign currency translation ($42 million), organic growth, including higher prices ($18 million) and incremental sales related to business acquisitions ($6 million). Excluding the impacts of foreign currency translation and business acquisitions and divestitures, sales growth was led by continued momentum in Applied HVAC & Controls and Fire & Security, led by high-single digit growth in Service.

  • The decrease in Building Solutions Asia Pacific was primarily due to organic sales declines ($131 million) and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation ($10 million). Excluding the impacts of foreign currency translation and business acquisitions and divestitures, sales decreased as mid single-digit Service growth was more than offset by accelerating weakness in the China Install business.

  • The decrease in Global Products was due to the net impact of lower volumes and higher prices ($28 million) and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation ($10 million), partially offset by the net impact of business acquisitions and divestitures ($20 million). Excluding the impacts of foreign currency translation and business acquisitions and divestitures, sales decreased as low single-digit growth in Commercial HVAC was more than offset by declines in global Residential sales.

Segment EBITA

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022Change
Building Solutions North America$285$2677%
Building Solutions EMEA/LA80757%
Building Solutions Asia Pacific4668-32%
Global Products369382-3%
  • The increase in Building Solutions North America was primarily due to favorable price/cost as higher margin backlog converted to sales and continued growth in Service.

  • The increase in Building Solutions EMEA/LA was primarily due to growth in Service.

  • The decrease in Building Solutions Asia Pacific was primarily due to continued weakness in the China Install business.

  • The decrease in Global Products was primarily due to lower volumes driving unfavorable manufacturing absorption and unfavorable mix, partially offset by favorable price and an uninsured loss associated with a fire at a leased warehouse facility in the prior year.

Backlog

The Company’s backlog is applicable to its sales of systems and services. At December 31, 2023, the backlog was $13.7 billion, of which $12.1 billion was attributable to the building solutions (field) business. The backlog amount outstanding at any given time is not necessarily indicative of the amount of revenue to be earned in the upcoming fiscal year.

At December 31, 2023, remaining performance obligations were $19.9 billion, which is $6.2 billion higher than the Company's backlog of $13.7 billion. Differences between the Company’s remaining performance obligations and backlog are primarily due to:

  • Remaining performance obligations include large, multi-purpose contracts to construct hospitals, schools and other governmental buildings, which are services to be performed over the building's lifetime with average initial contract terms of 25 to 35 years for the entire term of the contract versus backlog which includes only the lifecycle period of these contracts which approximates five years;

  • Remaining performance obligations exclude certain customer contracts with a term of one year or less or contracts that are cancellable without substantial penalty versus backlog which includes short-term and cancellable contracts; and

  • Remaining performance obligations include the full remaining term of service contracts with substantial termination penalties versus backlog which includes only one year for all outstanding service contracts.

The Company reports backlog as it believes it is a useful measure of evaluating the Company's operational performance and relationship to total orders.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Working Capital

December 31,September 30,
(in millions)20232023Change
Current assets$12,054$10,737
Current liabilities(12,409)(11,084)
Working capital$(355)$(347)2%
Accounts receivable - net$6,045$6,0061%
Inventories3,0062,7768%
Accounts payable3,9764,268(7%)
  • Working capital is approximately flat at December 31, 2023 as compared to September 30, 2023. The seasonal increase in inventory, the reduction in accounts payable due to timing, and the increase in cash was offset by higher current borrowings.

Cash Flows From Continuing Operations

Three Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022
Cash used by operating activities$(246)$(296)
Cash used by investing activities(74)(189)
Cash provided by financing activities1,2289
  • Cash used by operating activities was relatively consistent with prior year due to the seasonal usage of cash in the first fiscal quarter of the year.

  • The decrease in cash used by investing activities was primarily due to lower capital expenditures and acquisitions.

  • The increase in cash provided by financing activities was primarily due to increases in commercial paper and other short-term debt and the lack of share repurchases in the three months ended December 31, 2023.

Capitalization

December 31,September 30,
(in millions)20232023
Short-term debt$1,998$385
Current portion of long-term debt652645
Long-term debt7,9597,818
Total debt10,6098,848
Less: Cash and cash equivalents1,801835
Net debt$8,808$8,013
Shareholders’ equity attributable to Johnson Controls ordinary shareholders ("Equity")$16,698$16,545
Total capitalization (Total debt plus Equity)27,30725,393
Net capitalization (Net debt plus Equity)25,50624,558
Total debt as a % of Total capitalization38.9%34.8%
Net debt as a % of Net capitalization34.5%32.6%
  • Net debt and net debt as a percentage of net capitalization are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes the percentage of net debt to net capitalization is useful to understanding the Company’s financial condition as it provides a view of the extent to which the Company relies on external debt financing for its funding and is a measure of risk to its shareholders.

  • The Company's material cash requirements primarily consist of working capital requirements, repayments of long-term debt and related interest, operating leases, dividends, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions and share repurchases.

  • As of December 31, 2023, approximately $3.0 billion remains available under the Company's share repurchase authorization, which does not have an expiration date and may be amended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice. The Company expects to repurchase outstanding shares from time to time depending on market conditions, alternate uses of capital, liquidity, and the economic environment.

  • The Company declared a dividend of $0.37 per common share in the quarter ended December 31, 2023 and intends to continue paying dividends throughout fiscal 2024.

  • The Company believes its capital resources and liquidity position, including cash and cash equivalents of $1.8 billion at December 31, 2023, are adequate to fund operations and meet its obligations for the foreseeable future. The Company expects requirements for working capital, capital expenditures, dividends, minimum pension contributions, debt maturities and any potential acquisitions or stock repurchases in the remainder of fiscal 2024 will be funded from operations, supplemented by short- and long-term borrowings, if required.

**–**The Company manages its short-term debt position in the U.S. and euro commercial paper and bank loan markets. Commercial paper outstanding totaled $1.4 billion as of December 31, 2023 and $0.2 billion as of September 30, 2023.

–The Company maintains a shelf registration statement with the SEC under which it may issue additional debt securities, ordinary shares, preferred shares, depository shares, warrants purchase contracts and units that may be offered in one or more offerings on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. The Company anticipates that the proceeds of any offering would be used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of indebtedness, acquisitions, additions to working capital, repurchases of ordinary shares, dividends, capital expenditures and investments in the Company's subsidiaries.

–The Company also has the ability to draw on its $2.5 billion revolving credit facility which is scheduled to expire in December 2028 or its $0.5 billion revolving credit facility which is scheduled to expire in December 2024. There were no draws on the revolving credit facilities as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023.

  • The Company's ability to access the global capital markets and the related cost of financing is dependent upon, among other factors, the Company's credit ratings. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's credit ratings and outlook were as follows:
Rating AgencyShort-Term RatingLong-Term RatingOutlook
S&PA-2BBB+Stable
Moody'sP-2Baa2Positive

The security ratings set forth above are issued by unaffiliated third party rating agencies and are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The ratings may be subject to revision or withdrawal by the assigning rating organization at any time.

  • Financial covenants in the Company's revolving credit facilities requires a minimum consolidated shareholders’ equity attributable to Johnson Controls of at least $3.5 billion at all times. The revolving credit facility also limits the amount of debt secured by liens that may be incurred to a maximum aggregated amount of 10% of consolidated shareholders’ equity attributable to Johnson Controls for liens and pledges. For purposes of calculating these covenants, consolidated shareholders’ equity attributable to Johnson Controls is calculated without giving effect to (i) the application of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 715-60, "Defined Benefit Plans - Other Postretirement," or (ii) the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with all covenants and other requirements set forth in its credit agreements and the indentures governing its notes, and expects to remain in compliance for the foreseeable future. None of the Company’s debt agreements limit access to stated borrowing levels or require accelerated repayment in the event of a decrease in the Company's credit rating.

  • The Company earns a significant amount of its income outside of the parent company. Outside basis differences in these subsidiaries are deemed to be permanently reinvested except in limited circumstances. However, in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company provided income tax expense related to a change in the Company's assertion over the outside basis differences of the Company’s investment in certain consolidated subsidiaries. The Company currently does not intend nor foresee a need to repatriate undistributed earnings included in the outside basis differences other than in tax efficient manners. The Company's intent is to reduce basis differences only when it would be tax efficient. The Company expects existing U.S. cash and liquidity to continue to be sufficient to fund the Company’s U.S. operating activities and cash commitments for investing and financing activities for at least the next twelve months and thereafter for the foreseeable future. In the U.S., should the Company require more capital than is generated by its operations, the Company could elect to raise capital in the U.S. through debt or equity issuances. The Company has borrowed funds in the U.S. and continues to have the ability to borrow funds in the U.S. at reasonable interest rates. In addition, the Company expects existing non-U.S. cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and cash flows from operations to continue to be sufficient to fund the

Company’s non-U.S. operating activities and cash commitments for investing activities, such as material capital expenditures, for at least the next twelve months and thereafter for the foreseeable future. Should the Company require more capital at its Luxembourg and Ireland holding and financing entities, other than amounts that can be provided in tax efficient methods, the Company could also elect to raise capital through debt or equity issuances. These alternatives could result in increased interest expense or other dilution of the Company’s earnings.

  • The Company may from time to time purchase its outstanding debt through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Purchases or retirement of debt, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

  • Refer to Note 10, "Debt and Financing Arrangements," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on debt balances and items impacting capitalization.

Co-Issued Securities: Summarized Financial Information

The following information is provided in compliance with Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the following unsecured, unsubordinated senior notes (collectively, ("the Notes) which were issued by Johnson Controls International plc ("Parent Company") and Tyco Fire & Security Finance S.C.A. (“TFSCA”):

  • €500 million aggregate principal amount of 0.375% Senior Notes due 2027

  • €600 million aggregate principal amount of 3.000% Senior Notes due 2028

  • $625 million aggregate principal amount of 1.750% Senior Notes due 2030

  • $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.000% Sustainability-Linked Senior Notes due 2031

  • €500 million aggregate principal amount of 1.000% Senior Notes due 2032

  • $400 million aggregate principal amount of 4.900% Senior Notes due 2032

  • €800 million aggregate principal amount of 4.25% Senior Notes due 2035

TFSCA is a corporate partnership limited by shares (société en commandite par actions) incorporated and organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Luxembourg”) and is a wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary of the Company that is 99.924% owned directly by the Parent Company and 0.076% owned by TFSCA’s sole general partner and manager, Tyco Fire & Security S.à r.l., which is itself wholly-owned by the Company. The Parent Company is incorporated and organized under the laws of Ireland. TFSCA is incorporated and organized under the laws of Luxembourg. The bankruptcy, insolvency, administrative, debtor relief and other laws of Luxembourg or Ireland, as applicable, may be materially different from, or in conflict with, those of the United States, including in the areas of rights of creditors, priority of governmental and other creditors, ability to obtain post-petition interest and duration of the proceeding. The application of these laws, or any conflict among them, could adversely affect noteholders’ ability to enforce their rights under the Notes in those jurisdictions or limit any amounts that they may receive.

The following table presents the Net loss attributable to the Parent Company and TFSCA (collectively, the "Obligor Group") and the net income (loss) attributable to intercompany transactions between the Obligor Group and subsidiaries of the Parent Company other than TFSCA (collectively, the "Non-Obligor Subsidiaries") which are excluded from the Net loss attributable to the Obligor Group (in millions):

Three Months Ended December 31, 2023Year Ended September 30, 2023
Net loss attributable to the Obligor Group$(146)$(458)
Net income (loss) attributable to intercompany transactions139(139)

The Obligor Group does not have sales, gross profit or amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests.

The following table presents summarized balance sheet information of the Obligor Group and intercompany balances between the Obligor Group and the Non-Obligor Subsidiaries which are excluded from the Obligor Group amounts (in millions):

Obligor GroupIntercompany Balances
December 31, 2023September 30, 2023December 31, 2023September 30, 2023
Current assets$1,081$26$422$5,608
Noncurrent assets2432708,0301,882
Current liabilities4,6473,6522,9819,289
Noncurrent liabilities7,7227,5859,4833,462

The same accounting policies as described in Note 1, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," of the Company's Annual Report on 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 are used by the Parent Company and each of its subsidiaries in connection with the summarized financial information presented above.

New Accounting Standards

Refer to Note 2, "New Accounting Standards," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company’s critical accounting estimates requiring significant judgement that could materially impact the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows are described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023. Since the date of the Company’s most recent Annual Report, there have been no material changes in the Company’s critical accounting estimates or assumptions.

Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had not experienced any adverse changes in market risk exposures that materially affected the quantitative and qualitative disclosures presented in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023.

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) as of December 31, 2023. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions’ rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Based on such evaluations, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective because of the material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting discussed below and described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023. Notwithstanding the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, management believes and has concluded that the consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q fairly present, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Remediation Plan for Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Company is committed to remediating the above noted material weakness and has actively implemented measures designed to help ensure the material weakness is remediated as soon as possible. Although some remediation measures have been completed, other actions with respect to the Company’s remediation plan are ongoing and include, among other things, the following:

  • engaging security specialists to assist in the review, assessment and remediation of the Company's IT controls;

  • additional strengthening of access requirements and unauthorized access detection to the Company's financial reporting systems; and

  • implementing additional procedures to facilitate more effective backup and recovery of the Company's financial reporting systems.

Though the remediation plan is subject to continual review and revision, the Company expects the remediation plan described above will address the identified material weakness. The remediation plan is subject to oversight by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and the identified material weakness will not be considered remediated until the remediation plan has been fully implemented, the applicable controls operate for a sufficient period of time, and the Company has concluded that newly implemented controls are operating effectively.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no significant changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

CFO Succession

As previously disclosed in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 16, 2024, Marc Vandiepenbeeck will succeed Olivier Leonetti as the Company's Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer on the date immediately following the date of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. As a result, on January 31, 2024, Mr. Leonetti’s resignation will be effective and Mr. Vandiepenbeeck will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer.

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Gumm v. Molinaroli, et al.

On August 16, 2016, a putative class action lawsuit, Gumm v. Molinaroli, et al., Case No. 16-cv-1093, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, naming Johnson Controls, Inc., the individual members of its board of directors at the time of the merger with the Company’s merger subsidiary and certain of its officers, the Company and the Company’s merger subsidiary as defendants. The complaint asserted various causes of action under the federal securities laws, state law and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, including that the individual defendants allegedly breached their fiduciary duties and unjustly enriched themselves by structuring the merger among the Company, Tyco and the merger subsidiary in a manner that would result in a United States federal income tax realization event for the putative class of certain Johnson Controls, Inc. shareholders and allegedly result in certain benefits to the defendants, as well as related claims regarding alleged misstatements in the proxy statement/prospectus distributed to the Johnson Controls, Inc. shareholders, conversion and breach of contract. The complaint also asserted that Johnson Controls, Inc., the Company and the Company’s merger subsidiary aided and abetted the individual defendants in their breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. The complaint seeks, among other things, disgorgement of profits and damages. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on February 15, 2017. On November 3, 2021, the court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Plaintiffs appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. On November 6, 2023, the Seventh Circuit affirmed the decision of the district court.

Refer to Note 21, "Commitments and Contingencies," of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for discussion of environmental, asbestos, self-insured liabilities and other litigation matters, which is incorporated by reference herein and is considered an integral part of Part II, Item 1, "Legal Proceedings."

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

There have been no material changes to the disclosure regarding risk factors presented in Part I, Item 1A, of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

As of December 31, 2023, approximately $3.0 billion remains available under the share repurchase program which was authorized by the Company's Board of Directors in March 2021. The share repurchase authorization does not have an expiration date and may be amended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice.

During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company did not repurchase any of its ordinary shares as part of its publicly announced program and acquisitions of shares by the Company from certain employees in order to satisfy employee tax withholding requirements in connection with the vesting of restricted shares were not material.

Item 5. OTHER INFORMATION

Officer Rule 10b5-1 Plans

During the three months ended December 31, 2023, none of the Company's directors or Section 16 officers adopted, amended or terminated a “Rule 10b5–1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5–1 trading arrangement” (as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K).

Item 6. EXHIBITS

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.Description
10.1Form of terms and conditions for Option / SAR Awards under the Johnson Controls International plc 2021 Equity and Incentive Plan for fiscal 2024 (filed herewith)
10.2Credit Agreement, dated as of December 11, 2023, among Johnson Controls International plc, certain of its subsidiaries party thereto from time to time, the lenders party thereto from time to time, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 14, 2023)
31.1Certification by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
31.2Certification by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
32.1Certification of Periodic Financial Report by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
101The following materials from Johnson Controls International plc's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, formatted in iXBRL (Inline Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Income, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted in iXBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC
Date: January 30, 2024By:/s/ Olivier Leonetti
Olivier Leonetti
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer