Sterling Capital Management LLC Sells 66,881 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Sterling Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 19.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 280,574 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 66,881 shares during the period. Rockwell Automation accounts for 1.3% of Sterling Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Sterling Capital Management LLC owned 0.25% of Rockwell Automation worth $93,198,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Howe & Rusling Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 4.9% in the first quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 794 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $205,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,427 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $476,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 34.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 161 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 0.6% during the first quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 7,708 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,992,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 7.9% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 631 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $163,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of NYSE ROK opened at $373.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $41.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.80, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.45. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $215.00 and a 1 year high of $396.89. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $349.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $330.36.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.40. The firm had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 12.03% and a return on equity of 30.14%. The business’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.47 earnings per share. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.200-12.200 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 17th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 64.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ROK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Barclays increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $357.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Bank of America raised Rockwell Automation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $360.00 to $410.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $347.94.

Insider Activity

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Isaac Woods sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $87,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 1,662 shares in the company, valued at approximately $581,700. This represents a 13.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director James P. Keane sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.06, for a total value of $1,068,180.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,192 shares in the company, valued at $3,272,903.52. The trade was a 24.61% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 30,375 shares of company stock valued at $10,661,109. Insiders own 0.68% 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.