3,397 Shares in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Acquired by GSA Capital Partners LLP

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,397 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $912,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 100.0% during the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 96 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of Rockwell Automation stock opened at $286.15 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $269.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $266.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $242.81 and a 12 month high of $312.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.36.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its 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. The firm had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.06 billion. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.42% and a net margin of 11.53%. The business’s revenue was down 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.64 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $1.31 per share. This is an increase from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.39%.

Rockwell Automation declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, September 5th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 3.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ROK has been the subject of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas started coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $345.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $313.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $288.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Three research 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $286.13.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In related news, SVP Veena M. Lakkundi sold 579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.86, for a total value of $154,511.94. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Rockwell Automation 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.