NBC Securities Inc. Invests $216,000 in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 838 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $216,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 41.0% during the fourth quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 141 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:ROK traded up $0.92 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $325.27. The stock had a trading volume of 1,081,857 shares, compared to its average volume of 882,646. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $271.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $278.92. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $215.00 and a twelve month high of $328.47. The firm has a market cap of $36.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.36. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. The company had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio is 65.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $271.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $316.21.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.01, for a total value of $147,505.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $837,238.38. This trade represents a 14.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 293 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.68, for a total value of $75,500.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,922 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,260.96. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 5,405 shares of company stock worth $1,640,796 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

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.