UBS Group Upgrades Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) to Hold

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at UBS Group to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on ROK. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $227.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $286.13.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE ROK traded down $0.28 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $286.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,107,827 shares, compared to its average volume of 883,885. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Rockwell Automation has a 1-year low of $242.81 and a 1-year high of $312.76. The firm's 50 day moving average is $268.55 and its 200-day moving average is $266.83.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.64 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Rockwell Automation will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, September 5th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 3.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Veena M. Lakkundi sold 579 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.86, for a total transaction of $154,511.94. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 4,576 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,221,151.36. This represents a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ROK. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Company 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.