Madison Asset Management LLC Makes New $5.43 Million Investment in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 10,967 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,430,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 97.5% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 79 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the first quarter valued at $31,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Rockwell Automation

Here are the key news stories impacting Rockwell Automation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised most earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $13.15 from $12.86, FY2027 to $14.22 from $13.90, and FY2028 to $16.69 from $16.23. Estimates were also raised for several individual quarters, including Q4 2026, Q2-Q3 2027 and Q1-Q3 2028. The revisions suggest improving confidence in Rockwell’s earnings trajectory and provide a potential tailwind for ROK. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer described Rockwell as an attractive long-term opportunity. Although he called the stock’s chart “ugly,” Cramer recommended it as a strong long-term situation. That endorsement may support sentiment among retail and momentum-focused investors, even though it does not represent a change in company fundamentals. Jim Cramer commentary on Rockwell Automation
• Neutral Sentiment: ROKLive Bangkok highlighted growth opportunities but offered no major financial update. Rockwell brought Thai manufacturing leaders together to discuss smart manufacturing, industrial automation and digital transformation. The event reinforces demand for Rockwell’s automation solutions, but the report did not include new bookings, revenue guidance or material contract announcements. ROKLive Bangkok 2026 article
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and valuation remain headwinds. Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating, while the broader consensus is also “Hold.” One Zacks revision trimmed Q1 2027 EPS modestly to $2.97 from $2.99. With Rockwell trading at roughly 34 times earnings and below its 50-day moving average, investors may be reluctant to add aggressively without stronger near-term catalysts. Rockwell Automation consensus Hold rating

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ROK shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $360.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $514.00 target price on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $404.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, HSBC boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $445.00 to $490.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $468.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 377 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.51, for a total transaction of $173,612.27. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 4,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,043,282.87. This trade represents a 7.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.76% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:ROK opened at $433.18 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.60, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.54. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $332.71 and a 1-year high of $497.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $462.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $426.85.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.11. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 39.83% and a net margin of 13.39%.The firm had revenue of $2.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.82 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 51.73%.

Rockwell Automation announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 9th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to buy up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries.

The company’s product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand.