Groupe la Francaise Sells 5,985 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise cut its Rockwell Automation position by 27.5% in the second quarter, selling 5,985 shares and retaining 15,750 shares valued at approximately $7.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.75% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Morgan Stanley and Argus raised price targets and maintain bullish ratings, but the overall consensus is “Hold” with an average target of $469.14.
• Rockwell reported quarterly EPS and revenue above expectations, with revenue rising 7.9% year over year. The company also declared a $1.38 quarterly dividend and authorized a $1 billion share-repurchase program.

Groupe la Francaise reduced its position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 27.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,750 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 5,985 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $7,800,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 97.5% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 79 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, TD Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ROK shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $525.00 to $545.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore set a $485.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Argus raised their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $465.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $501.00 to $514.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $555.00 to $536.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $469.14.

Trending Headlines about Rockwell Automation

Here are the key news stories impacting Rockwell Automation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised most forward EPS estimates. Zacks Research increased its forecasts for Q4 2026, Q2-Q4 2027, FY2026, FY2027, Q3 2028 and FY2028. The firm now expects $13.17 EPS for FY2026, $14.39 for FY2027 and $16.78 for FY2028, suggesting improving expectations for Rockwell Automation’s longer-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained a Buy rating. The continued bullish view from a major brokerage provides supportive sentiment for ROK, although the broader analyst consensus remains Hold. Morgan Stanley Remains a Buy on Rockwell Automation
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results and capital returns remain supportive. Rockwell’s latest quarter exceeded EPS and revenue expectations, with revenue up 7.9% year over year. The company also has authorization for up to $1 billion in share repurchases and pays a quarterly dividend, which may enhance shareholder returns.
• Neutral Sentiment: The investment case is constructive but not uniformly bullish. Zacks maintained a Hold rating, and the consensus target of approximately $469.14 implies potential upside but also reflects caution at ROK’s current valuation. A recent comparison of Rockwell with other Internet of Things companies may influence sector sentiment but provides no clear company-specific catalyst. Q2 earnings highlights: Rockwell Automation vs. Internet of Things stocks
• Negative Sentiment: One near-term EPS estimate was trimmed. Zacks lowered its Q1 2027 forecast to $2.93 from $2.97, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold shares. SVP Matheus Bulho sold 400 shares for about $168,056 after selling 467 shares earlier. Because the transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, they are a limited bearish signal. Rockwell Automation insider share sale

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Christian E. Rothe sold 590 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.30, for a total value of $256,237.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,529,314.70. This trade represents a 5.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Patricia A. Watson sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 6,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,754,680.55. The trade was a 14.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 2,557 shares of company stock valued at $1,098,256 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:ROK opened at $434.18 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.74. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $332.71 and a 1-year high of $497.36. The company has a 50-day moving average of $453.91 and a 200 day moving average of $428.42. The firm has a market cap of $48.22 billion, a PE ratio of 40.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.52.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.11. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.39% and a return on equity of 39.83%. The business had revenue of $2.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.82 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.300 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.73%.

Rockwell Automation declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, June 9th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to purchase up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Company Profile

Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries.

The company's product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ROK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.