Trillium Asset Management LLC Sells 2,312 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Trillium Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 43,835 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,312 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $19,084,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ROK. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,129,376,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,323,990 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,635,801,000 after acquiring an additional 265,978 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 1,022,866 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $445,284,000 after acquiring an additional 63,435 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 2nd quarter valued at $394,905,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 13.5% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 998,374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $358,296,000 after acquiring an additional 118,474 shares in the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rockwell Automation news, CEO Blake D. Moret bought 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 9th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $386.36 per share, for a total transaction of $1,545,440.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,285 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $38,359,752.60. The trade was a 4.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Patricia A. Watson sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $431.43, for a total value of $474,573.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,385 shares in the company, valued at $2,754,680.55. This represents a 14.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 3,211 shares of company stock valued at $1,366,185 in the last ninety days. 0.76% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Rockwell Automation stock traded down $1.67 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $402.53. 913,260 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,074,089. The company’s fifty day moving average is $426.86 and its 200-day moving average is $426.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.11. The firm has a market cap of $44.70 billion, a PE ratio of 32.07, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.51. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $347.53 and a 52 week high of $497.36.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The industrial products company reported $3.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 15.68% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.34 EPS. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.500-15.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 14.95 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $1.45 dividend. This represents a $5.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. DA Davidson cut their price target on Rockwell Automation from $500.00 to $490.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $426.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $520.00 price objective on Rockwell Automation in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Evercore set a $485.00 price objective on Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Stephens cut their target price on Rockwell Automation from $550.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $471.33.

Rockwell Automation News Roundup

These are some of the ROK news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Rockwell introduced LogixEdge, an industrial PC-based controller combining Logix control, edge computing and containerized applications. The platform is designed to simplify factory systems and support software-defined automation, creating a new product opportunity, though financial impact is not yet known. Article: Rockwell Automation Introduces LogixEdge Controllers
• Negative Sentiment: ETFs were reported as net sellers of ROK shares on Nov. 11. This may add some flow-related pressure, although ETF activity alone does not indicate a change in the company’s fundamentals. Article: ETFs Are Net Sellers of Rockwell Automation
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst highlighted Rockwell’s global tax profile as a risk, with tax rates potentially fluctuating due to jurisdictional factors and government incentives. Such changes could add uncertainty to earnings. Article: Rockwell Automation’s Tax-Rate Risk

Rockwell Automation Company Profile

Rockwell Automation, Inc. is an industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its roots date to 1903, when it was founded as the Compression Rheostat Company. The company provides hardware, software and services that help manufacturers automate and manage industrial operations. Its offerings include control systems, sensors, motor-control products, industrial software and services for optimizing production and maintaining equipment. Its Allen-Bradley and FactoryTalk brands are among its best-known product lines.