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

Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK – Get Rating) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $263.24.

ROK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $278.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $297.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Barclays raised their price target on Rockwell Automation from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $233.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $335.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ROK opened at $282.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 1.03. Rockwell Automation has a 52 week low of $190.08 and a 52 week high of $309.36. The firm has a market cap of $32.37 billion, a PE ratio of 30.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.44. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $286.88 and its 200-day moving average is $261.11.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.65. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.63% and a return on equity of 38.70%. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.14 EPS. Rockwell Automation’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Rockwell Automation will post 11.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were issued a $1.18 dividend. This represents a $4.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 51.14%.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total value of $29,433.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 452 shares in the company, valued at $133,037.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Scott Genereux sold 943 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.05, for a total value of $269,745.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,876 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,108,729.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total value of $29,433.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $133,037.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 10,730 shares of company stock valued at $3,112,032 over the last quarter. 0.64% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Rockwell Automation by 87,404.1% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,236,433 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $318,468,000 after purchasing an additional 1,235,020 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,125,000. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 70.1% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,941,741 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $387,703,000 after purchasing an additional 800,290 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 104.1% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,498,756 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $322,398,000 after acquiring an additional 764,385 shares during the period. Finally, FIFTHDELTA Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $102,067,000. 77.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Rockwell Automation

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Rockwell Automation, Inc engages in the provision of industrial automation and information services. It operates through the following segments: Intelligent Devices, Software and Control, and Lifecycle Services. The Intelligent Devices segment combines a comprehensive portfolio of smart products that create the foundation of an agile, resilient, and sustainable production system.