First Pacific Financial Invests $3.10 Million in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Key Points

• First Pacific Financial has invested approximately $3.10 million in Rockwell Automation, Inc., acquiring 9,338 shares during the second quarter.
• Several institutional investors, including Citizens National Bank Trust Department and IMA Advisory Services Inc., have also recently bought into Rockwell Automation, which is largely owned by institutional investors at 75.75%.
• Rockwell Automation shares currently have an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a target price around $340.16, following positive analyst reviews and a recent earnings report that exceeded expectations.

First Pacific Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 9,338 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,102,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ROK. Citizens National Bank Trust Department purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the first quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ROK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $392.00 price objective (up from $371.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $370.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, July 7th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $381.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, September 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.16.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Cyril Perducat sold 1,435 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $348.08, for a total transaction of $499,494.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,787 shares in the company, valued at $1,318,178.96. The trade was a 27.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 24,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.13, for a total transaction of $8,543,172.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 83,873 shares in the company, valued at $29,366,453.49. This trade represents a 22.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,922 shares of company stock worth $11,191,812. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 1.3%

ROK opened at $349.18 on Wednesday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $215.00 and a twelve month high of $360.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $345.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $310.15. The company has a market cap of $39.26 billion, a PE ratio of 40.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.41.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.15. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 12.03% and a return on equity of 30.14%. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.71 EPS. Rockwell Automation's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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