Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Shares Purchased by Strong Tower Advisory Services

Strong Tower Advisory Services raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 43.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,840 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. Strong Tower Advisory Services' holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $734,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $281,000. Caprock Group LLC raised its stake in Rockwell Automation by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,052 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at $57,000. Everett Harris & Co. CA lifted its position in Rockwell Automation by 31.3% during the fourth quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 2,100 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $600,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 3,387 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $968,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ROK traded up $2.36 on Wednesday, hitting $318.98. 872,383 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 875,367. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.72, 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $215.00 and a 1-year high of $320.27. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $266.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $277.83.

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

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

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 issued a $1.31 dividend. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.99%.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 2,500 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $304.13, for a total transaction of $760,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $314,166.29. This trade represents a 70.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 939 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $304.24, for a total value of $285,681.36. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 983 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $299,067.92. This represents a 48.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,682 shares of company stock worth $1,410,771 over the last 90 days. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $327.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays raised Rockwell Automation from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $283.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Friday, May 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $316.21.

Rockwell Automation Company Profile

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.