Matthew Fordenwalt Sells 295 Shares of Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Matthew Fordenwalt sold 295 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.92, for a total value of $118,861.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,824,824.68. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

ROK stock opened at $403.87 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $215.00 and a 52-week high of $406.44. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $367.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $347.65.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $3.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.40. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 32.69% and a net margin of 10.42%.The firm had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.47 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.200-12.200 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. This is an increase from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is currently 72.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $355.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $391.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Friday, November 7th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $410.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $357.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $372.56.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at $281,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 59.6% in the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 166 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 96.9% in the first quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 5,406 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,397,000 after buying an additional 2,660 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,819,379 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $470,091,000 after buying an additional 191,370 shares during the period. Finally, ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at about $6,818,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

About Rockwell Automation

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.