Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Shares Acquired by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,876,530 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 81,079 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.12% of Rockwell Automation worth $3,965,774,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. West Oak Capital LLC boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 455.6% during the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC boosted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 41.0% during the fourth quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 141 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of Rockwell Automation stock opened at $268.25 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $242.81 and a 52 week high of $308.70. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $279.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $278.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. Research analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.95%. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is 65.26%.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In related news, VP Isaac Woods sold 895 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.72, for a total value of $245,874.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,198 shares in the company, valued at $329,114.56. The trade was a 42.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 1,231 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.43, for a total value of $351,364.33. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,650 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,041,819.50. This represents a 25.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,352 shares of company stock worth $1,246,298 in the last 90 days. 0.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ROK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $345.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $315.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $240.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $307.68.

Rockwell Automation 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.