Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Shares Acquired by Verus Capital Partners LLC

Verus Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,372 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Verus Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $678,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,660 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,046,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,887,000. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its position in Rockwell Automation by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 44,702 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,775,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. Nwam LLC grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 189.0% in the 4th quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 3,017 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $862,000 after purchasing an additional 1,973 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisor OS LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $230,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 1.1 %

Rockwell Automation stock opened at $287.51 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $242.81 and a fifty-two week high of $308.70. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $286.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $278.35.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 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%. Analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ROK shares. HSBC raised Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $355.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $313.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $307.55.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rockwell Automation news, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 1,741 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.67, for a total transaction of $516,502.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 80,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,825,271.03. This trade represents a 2.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 895 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.72, for a total value of $245,874.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,198 shares in the company, valued at $329,114.56. This represents a 42.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders 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 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.