Buckhead Capital Management LLC Boosts Holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Buckhead Capital Management LLC raised its position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 14.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,781 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,965 shares during the period. Buckhead Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $4,510,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in ROK. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth about $144,000. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP boosted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP now owns 18,006 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,146,000 after acquiring an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at about $479,000. Essex Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth about $217,000. Finally, Focus Financial Network Inc. increased its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,967 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $562,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Scott Genereux sold 278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.04, for a total value of $83,967.12. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,184 shares in the company, valued at $961,695.36. The trade was a 8.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP John M. Miller sold 467 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.07, for a total transaction of $132,660.69. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,363,536. The trade was a 8.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 35,857 shares of company stock worth $10,678,037. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ROK shares. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. KeyCorp raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $345.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $315.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $308.05.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ROK opened at $298.51 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $286.23 and its 200 day moving average is $275.65. The company has a market cap of $33.74 billion, a PE ratio of 36.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $242.81 and a 1 year high of $308.70.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 30.42%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.32 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is currently 63.29%.

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.