Somerville Kurt F Invests $12.66 Million in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Key Points

• Somerville Kurt F acquired 25,565 Rockwell Automation shares worth approximately $12.66 million, making ROK a 3% portfolio position and its 11th-largest holding. Institutional investors collectively own 75.75% of the company.
• Rockwell reported quarterly EPS of $3.49 and revenue of $2.31 billion, beating estimates and increasing revenue 7.9% year over year. The company also authorized a $1 billion share repurchase plan and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38.
• Despite solid earnings and raised forecasts from some analysts, the stock carries a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $468.67; shares opened at $433.18, below the 50-day moving average.

Somerville Kurt F acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 25,565 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $12,657,000. Rockwell Automation makes up 3.0% of Somerville Kurt F's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Rockwell Automation by 97.5% in 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 in the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 377 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.51, for a total value of $173,612.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,437 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,043,282.87. This trade represents a 7.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:ROK opened at $433.18 on Thursday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $332.71 and a twelve month high of $497.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.60, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $462.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $426.85.

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

Rockwell Automation announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan 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 plans are often a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on ROK. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $525.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $501.00 to $514.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rockwell Automation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $555.00 to $536.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rockwell Automation presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $468.67.

Key Rockwell Automation News

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

Rockwell Automation 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.

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