Insider Selling: Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Sells 293 Shares of Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 293 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.68, for a total transaction of $75,500.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $495,260.96. This trade represents a 13.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

NYSE:ROK traded down $3.38 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $223.74. The stock had a trading volume of 308,784 shares, compared to its average volume of 874,745. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $278.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $215.71 and a 52 week 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. On average, research analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.34%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stephens upgraded Rockwell Automation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $275.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Loop Capital upped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $345.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $307.42.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth about $284,177,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Rockwell Automation by 85,513.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 675,487 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $193,047,000 after buying an additional 674,698 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 102.3% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,287,731 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $368,021,000 after buying an additional 651,116 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,115,280 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,033,476,000 after acquiring an additional 432,934 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 26.2% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,073,594 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $580,095,000 after acquiring an additional 430,498 shares in the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.