Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Stake Cut by Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK – Get Rating) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,010 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 254 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $775,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in Rockwell Automation by 104.1% in the third 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 buying an additional 764,385 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 438.1% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 221,004 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $56,924,000 after purchasing an additional 179,931 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1,178.2% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 165,068 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $46,224,000 after purchasing an additional 152,154 shares during the period. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at $35,512,000. Finally, Eaton Vance Management increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 40.1% during the first quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 380,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $106,589,000 after purchasing an additional 108,985 shares during the period. 77.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on ROK shares. Barclays raised their price target on Rockwell Automation from $250.00 to $262.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $297.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $238.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $250.00 to $290.00 in a report on Thursday, May 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $271.67.

Rockwell Automation Trading Up 1.2 %

NYSE:ROK opened at $273.43 on Friday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $190.08 and a 1-year high of $309.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $277.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $275.80.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $3.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.41. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 42.15% and a net margin of 15.82%. The firm had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.66 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 25.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 12.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $4.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is presently 41.55%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total transaction of $29,433.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $133,037.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Nicholas C. Gangestad sold 1,975 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.25, for a total transaction of $581,143.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 7,757 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,282,497.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total value of $29,433.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 452 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $133,037.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,131 shares of company stock worth $905,751. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Rockwell Automation Profile

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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 portfolio of smart products that create the foundation of an agile, resilient, and sustainable production system.