5,786 Shares in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Acquired by Virtu Financial LLC

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 5,786 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,495,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 2.2% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,448,160 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $374,176,000 after buying an additional 30,837 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 360.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 341 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 1,980.1% in the first quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 133,108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $34,392,000 after buying an additional 126,709 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 25.2% in the first quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 2,428 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $627,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the first quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Rockwell Automation stock opened at $333.67 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $336.92 and its 200-day moving average is $294.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.51 billion, a PE ratio of 39.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $215.00 and a 12-month high of $360.92.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.15. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.14% and a net margin of 12.03%. The business had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.71 earnings per share. Rockwell Automation’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is 61.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ROK shares. Barclays dropped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $370.00 to $357.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen raised Rockwell Automation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $275.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. CICC Research started coverage on Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, July 7th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $381.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $392.00 target price (up previously from $371.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 target price (up previously from $350.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $339.47.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In other news, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 526 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.35, for a total transaction of $171,134.10. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,819.05. This represents a 34.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.02, for a total value of $160,010.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 2,709 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $866,934.18. This trade represents a 15.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 5,818 shares of company stock valued at $1,944,708. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Company Profile

Rockwell Automation, Inc provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products and services.