Van ECK Associates Corp Cuts Stock Position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 96.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,501 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 756,125 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp's holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $7,860,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 100.0% in 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 last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. West Oak Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 455.6% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of ROK stock traded down $8.23 during trading on Friday, reaching $294.95. 1,113,483 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 858,529. The firm's 50-day moving average is $286.35 and its 200 day moving average is $276.84. The company has a market capitalization of $33.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.73, a PEG ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 1.35. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $242.81 and a 1 year high of $308.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Equities research analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.26%.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In related news, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.21, for a total transaction of $255,178.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,633 shares in the company, valued at $490,242.93. The trade was a 34.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 26,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.63, for a total value of $7,973,421.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 78,115 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,327,482.45. The trade was a 25.47 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,240 shares of company stock valued at $10,800,555. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ROK shares. HSBC raised Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $355.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens upgraded Rockwell Automation from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $275.00 to $350.00 in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $308.05.

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.