Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Holdings Reduced by Westwood Holdings Group Inc.

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. cut its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 24.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,278 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,079 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc.'s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $1,794,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 41.0% during the 4th quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 141 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 293 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.68, for a total value of $75,500.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,260.96. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 2,500 shares of the company's 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $314,166.29. This trade represents a 70.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 6,839 shares of company stock valued at $2,014,256 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ROK traded down $0.80 during trading on Friday, reaching $305.50. 481,495 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 876,047. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $215.00 and a 12 month high of $310.78. The company has a 50 day moving average of $260.01 and a 200-day moving average of $276.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.32.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.36. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. The business 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 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect 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. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ROK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $283.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $258.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $271.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $310.37.

Rockwell Automation 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.