Matthew Fordenwalt Sells 1,200 Shares of Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Matthew Fordenwalt sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $480,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,774,800. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of ROK stock opened at $397.11 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.62 billion, a PE ratio of 45.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.54. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $222.06 and a 52-week high of $438.72. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $382.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $384.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.29. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 34.92% and a net margin of 11.56%.The company had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.400-12.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is presently 63.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $435.00 to $410.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $410.00 to $360.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $450.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.67.

Rockwell Automation News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Rockwell Automation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declares quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share (annualized $5.52, ~1.4% yield) — supports income-oriented investors and signals cash-flow stability. Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive overall: consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with average targets near $406.67 and several firms maintaining or raising targets — supports upside vs. current levels. Brokerage Consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: SVP Matthew Fordenwalt sold 1,200 shares at ~$400 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan (disclosed in an SEC filing) — sizable dollar amount but executed under an automatic plan. Fordenwalt Sale
• Neutral Sentiment: SVP Cyril Perducat sold 198 shares (~$395) to cover tax withholding related to vesting awards; also executed under a plan — routine insider liquidity. Perducat Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Critical analysis argues Rockwell’s “premiumization” strategy looks unconvincing for 2026, raising questions about sustainable margin expansion and growth assumptions — could pressure sentiment if investors focus on execution risk. Seeking Alpha Critique

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 97.5% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 79 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 468.8% during the 3rd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 91 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Rexford Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries.

The company’s product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand.