JCI vs NDSN: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: JCI, with $23.6B of yearly revenue, about 8.5× NDSN's $2.8B.
  • More profitable: NDSN keeps 17 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 14 cents at JCI.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

Johnson Controls International (JCI) is the larger business by reported revenue: $23.6B in its fiscal year ended Sep 2025, about 8.5× NDSN's $2.8B (fiscal year ended Oct 2025). JCI's net margin was 13.9% and NDSN's 17.4%. The SEC places them in related industries (Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip; General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC), and both map to the Economic trends research theme.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Industrials
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
JCI September 30 · NDSN October 31
Reviewed
Dec 17, 2025

JCI vs NDSN: quick comparison

Company factJCINDSN
CompanyJohnson Controls International plcNordson Corporation
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
SEC industryAir-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig EquipGeneral Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC
Fiscal year-endSeptember 30October 31
Latest annual filing10-K · 2025-11-1410-K · 2025-12-17

JCI vs NDSN: audited financials

  • Scale: JCI's $23.6B of revenue is about 8.5× NDSN's $2.8B.
  • Net margin: NDSN kept 17.4% of revenue as net income versus 13.9% at JCI.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 1 month apart (2025-09-30 for JCI, 2025-10-31 for NDSN), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

JCI: FY ending 2025-09-30 · NDSN: FY ending 2025-10-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where JCI and NDSN overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Related SEC industries: both sit in SIC major group 35.
  • Shared research theme: Economic trends.

Differences

  • Different four-digit SIC codes: JCI is 3585 (Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip); NDSN is 3569 (General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC).
  • Offset fiscal calendars: JCI's year ends September 30 and NDSN's October 31, about 1 month apart.
  • Scale: JCI reported about 8.5× the annual revenue of NDSN.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Johnson Controls International plc (JCI)

Johnson Controls makes building systems for climate control, fire safety, and security.

Nordson Corporation (NDSN)

Nordson makes precision dispensing and fluid-management equipment for manufacturing and electronics.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves JCI

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for JCI. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2025-11-14.

What moves NDSN

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for NDSN. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2025-12-17.

The investment question

You now know JCI reports about 8.5× NDSN's revenue, and NDSN keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to economic trends, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. JCI's fiscal year ends September 30, while NDSN's ends October 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 7 matched transaction rows for JCI and 3 matched transaction rows for NDSN. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

JCI vs NDSN FAQs

Are JCI and NDSN direct competitors?

Not necessarily. Johnson Controls International files as Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip and Nordson as General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC. The pair is compared because both map to the Economic trends research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is JCI or NDSN the bigger company by revenue?

Johnson Controls International (JCI) is the larger business by reported revenue: $23.6B in its fiscal year ended Sep 2025, about 8.5× NDSN's $2.8B (fiscal year ended Oct 2025). JCI's net margin was 13.9% and NDSN's 17.4%. The SEC places them in related industries (Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip; General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC), and both map to the Economic trends research theme. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, JCI or NDSN?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this JCI vs NDSN comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Johnson Controls International plc and Nordson Corporation tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

JCI vs NDSN compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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