Quantbot Technologies LP Makes New $1.78 Million Investment in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 6,630 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,780,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 96 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the third quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ROK traded up $0.19 on Friday, reaching $295.14. The company had a trading volume of 395,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 893,438. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $274.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $268.03. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $242.81 and a twelve month high of $312.76. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.44 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This is a positive change from Rockwell Automation's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.29%.

Rockwell Automation announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, September 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to purchase up to 3.4% 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $313.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Rockwell Automation from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $227.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $288.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Three research 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $287.13.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In related news, SVP Cyril Perducat sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $300,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 3,630 shares in the company, valued at $1,089,000. This represents a 21.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director James P. Keane sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.00, for a total value of $592,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,518 shares in the company, valued at $3,409,328. This trade represents a 14.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 30,746 shares of company stock worth $9,152,594. 0.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.