Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho Sells 1,304 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 1,304 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $299.61, for a total transaction of $390,691.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,059 shares of the company's stock, valued at $317,286.99. The trade was a 55.18 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of ROK traded down $1.72 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $295.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 652,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 889,858. The company has a 50 day moving average of $277.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $268.69. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $242.81 and a 1-year high of $312.76. The firm has a market cap of $33.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.07. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.42% and a net margin of 11.53%. The firm had revenue of $2.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.64 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, September 5th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 3.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. This is an increase from Rockwell Automation's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ROK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $345.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Rockwell Automation from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $290.00 in a report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $289.47.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 100.0% during the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 96 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company's stock.

About Rockwell Automation

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.

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