Madison Asset Management LLC Takes $5.43 Million Position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Key Points

• Madison Asset Management acquired 10,967 Rockwell Automation shares worth approximately $5.43 million, while institutional investors collectively own 75.75% of the company.
• Rockwell exceeded quarterly expectations with $3.49 in EPS and $2.31 billion in revenue, up 7.9% year over year. The company also authorized a $1 billion share-buyback program and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share.
• Despite raised price targets from several analysts, Rockwell carries a consensus “Hold” rating with an average target of $468.67; valuation concerns and the stock trading below its 50-day moving average remain headwinds.

Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,967 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $5,430,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ROK. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in Rockwell Automation by 97.5% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 79 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the first quarter worth $31,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 377 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $460.51, for a total transaction of $173,612.27. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,437 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,043,282.87. The trade was a 7.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of ROK opened at $433.18 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.10 billion, a PE ratio of 40.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $462.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $426.85. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $332.71 and a 52-week high of $497.36.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $2.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.39% and a return on equity of 39.83%. Rockwell Automation's revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.82 EPS. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, June 9th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

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

Rockwell Automation News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised most earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $13.15 from $12.86, FY2027 to $14.22 from $13.90, and FY2028 to $16.69 from $16.23. Estimates were also raised for several individual quarters, including Q4 2026, Q2-Q3 2027 and Q1-Q3 2028. The revisions suggest improving confidence in Rockwell’s earnings trajectory and provide a potential tailwind for ROK. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer described Rockwell as an attractive long-term opportunity. Although he called the stock’s chart “ugly,” Cramer recommended it as a strong long-term situation. That endorsement may support sentiment among retail and momentum-focused investors, even though it does not represent a change in company fundamentals. Jim Cramer commentary on Rockwell Automation
• Neutral Sentiment: ROKLive Bangkok highlighted growth opportunities but offered no major financial update. Rockwell brought Thai manufacturing leaders together to discuss smart manufacturing, industrial automation and digital transformation. The event reinforces demand for Rockwell’s automation solutions, but the report did not include new bookings, revenue guidance or material contract announcements. ROKLive Bangkok 2026 article
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and valuation remain headwinds. Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating, while the broader consensus is also “Hold.” One Zacks revision trimmed Q1 2027 EPS modestly to $2.97 from $2.99. With Rockwell trading at roughly 34 times earnings and below its 50-day moving average, investors may be reluctant to add aggressively without stronger near-term catalysts. Rockwell Automation consensus Hold rating

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $470.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. 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 research report on Friday, August 14th. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $448.00 to $487.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $445.00 to $490.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $468.67.

About Rockwell Automation

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.

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