Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $307.68.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ROK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $345.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ROK opened at $261.88 on Tuesday. Rockwell Automation has a fifty-two week low of $242.81 and a fifty-two week high of $308.70. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $281.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $278.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $29.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39.

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

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.00%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 65.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 1,231 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.43, for a total value of $351,364.33. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 3,650 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,819.50. This represents a 25.22 % 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.72, for a total value of $245,874.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,198 shares in the company, valued at $329,114.56. This represents a 42.76 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,352 shares of company stock worth $1,246,298 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 3,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,079,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,896 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $542,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 0.9% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 4,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 4,195 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,199,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,351 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.75% 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.