Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Shares Acquired by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 6.1% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 955,574 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 54,948 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $278,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ROK. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Webster Bank N. A. acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROK has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $254.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, March 21st. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $250.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $290.00 target price (down previously from $330.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Rockwell Automation from $320.00 to $312.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $305.08.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

NYSE ROK opened at $266.34 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $249.00 and a fifty-two week high of $348.52. The business has a fifty day moving average of $265.87 and a 200-day moving average of $280.95. The stock has a market cap of $30.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 1.37.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $2.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.05 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.19% and a return on equity of 34.83%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.01 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 10.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP John M. Miller sold 467 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $273.27, for a total value of $127,617.09. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,311,696. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, SVP Cyril Perducat sold 659 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.11, for a total value of $171,412.49. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,204,309.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP John M. Miller sold 467 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $273.27, for a total value of $127,617.09. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,311,696. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,199 shares of company stock worth $572,750. 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.