Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $2.65 Million Stock Holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Erste Asset Management GmbH cut its position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 18.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,687 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,534 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $2,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth about $281,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 75.9% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,139 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,059,000 after buying an additional 3,513 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 142.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,305 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,887,000 after buying an additional 4,295 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 233.6% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,878 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 1,315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter worth about $868,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE ROK opened at $459.96 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $422.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $405.50. The company has a market capitalization of $51.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.81, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.57. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $305.44 and a 1-year high of $468.11.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The industrial products company reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.42. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.16 billion. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 37.54% and a net margin of 12.36%.Rockwell Automation’s revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.45 EPS. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.500-13.100 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, June 9th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is presently 57.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 4,024 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $451.97, for a total value of $1,818,727.28. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,563.98. The trade was a 96.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Christopher Nardecchia sold 2,538 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $446.43, for a total value of $1,133,039.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 14,232 shares in the company, valued at $6,353,591.76. The trade was a 15.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 12,308 shares of company stock worth $5,339,812 over the last ninety days. 0.76% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rockwell Automation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $404.00 to $417.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $525.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $400.00 to $480.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $495.00 to $515.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $451.75.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries.

The company’s product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand.