Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Stock Holdings Lessened by Eukles Asset Management

Eukles Asset Management reduced its holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 0.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,972 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 43 shares during the quarter. Rockwell Automation makes up 1.5% of Eukles Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Eukles Asset Management’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $3,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Rockwell Automation by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,472,877 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,212,750,000 after buying an additional 106,641 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 2.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,752,223 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $786,778,000 after purchasing an additional 70,272 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,741,019 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $706,004,000 after purchasing an additional 457,383 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 2.2% during the first quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,375,698 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $695,560,000 after purchasing an additional 51,561 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 9.9% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,908,119 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $545,474,000 after purchasing an additional 172,577 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on ROK shares. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $330.00 to $322.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 8th. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $324.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $290.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $269.00 to $265.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $310.08.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

ROK stock traded down $1.16 on Friday, reaching $272.34. 549,833 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,028,128. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $252.11 and a 12 month high of $348.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $283.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $284.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.21 billion, a PE ratio of 26.02, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.43.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by ($0.58). Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 37.22% and a net margin of 13.35%. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.46 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 12.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.84%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.57%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Brian A. Shepherd sold 637 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.87, for a total value of $167,448.19. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 5,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,337,482.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Blake D. Moret purchased 3,500 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $283.64 per share, for a total transaction of $992,740.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 77,215 shares in the company, valued at $21,901,262.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Brian A. Shepherd sold 637 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.87, for a total transaction of $167,448.19. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,337,482.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 17,877 shares of company stock worth $5,058,772. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation 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.