Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Holdings Cut by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc decreased its stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 81.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,613 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 15,744 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $1,033,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. West Oak Capital LLC lifted its position in Rockwell Automation by 455.6% in the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ROK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $313.00 price target on the stock. HSBC upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $315.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $307.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 1,304 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $299.61, for a total transaction of $390,691.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,059 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $317,286.99. This trade represents a 55.18 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.21, for a total transaction of $255,178.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,633 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $490,242.93. The trade was a 34.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,540 shares of company stock worth $1,935,134 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

NYSE:ROK opened at $288.58 on Wednesday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $242.81 and a 1 year high of $308.70. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $286.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $278.00. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $32.63 billion, a PE ratio of 35.94, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.35.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.82%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 65.26%.

Rockwell Automation Company 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.