Champlain Investment Partners LLC Has $244.26 Million Stock Holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 1.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 854,672 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 16,065 shares during the quarter. Rockwell Automation comprises approximately 1.5% of Champlain Investment Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Champlain Investment Partners LLC owned approximately 0.76% of Rockwell Automation worth $244,257,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. West Oak Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 455.6% during the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 100 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 141 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ROK traded up $6.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $233.40. The company's stock had a trading volume of 484,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 866,625. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $215.00 and a 1-year high of $308.70. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $261.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $275.15. The firm has a market cap of $26.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.17% and a net margin of 11.38%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.26%.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In other news, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.21, for a total value of $255,178.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,633 shares of the company's stock, valued at $490,242.93. This represents a 34.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 293 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.68, for a total transaction of $75,500.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at $495,260.96. The trade was a 13.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,750 shares of company stock worth $1,075,923. Insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ROK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Stephens upgraded Rockwell Automation from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $275.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. BNP Paribas upgraded Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Loop Capital raised their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $297.11.

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.