Insider Selling: Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Sells 500 Shares of Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.01, for a total value of $147,505.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $837,238.38. This trade represents a 14.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of ROK opened at $294.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.34 billion, a PE ratio of 36.72, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.32. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $251.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $215.00 and a 1 year high of $308.70.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.36. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. The company had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 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 Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $275.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday. Loop Capital upped their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Rockwell Automation from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $201.00 to $271.00 in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $308.37.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Citizens National Bank Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. West Oak Capital LLC grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 455.6% during the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 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.