Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. Has $15.94 Million Stock Holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. lowered its stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,771 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,015 shares during the quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC.'s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $15,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC grew its holdings in 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. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In other news, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 1,231 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.43, for a total transaction of $351,364.33. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 3,650 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,819.50. This trade represents a 25.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 876 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.03, for a total transaction of $248,810.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,057 shares in the company, valued at approximately $300,219.71. This trade represents a 45.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,839 shares of company stock worth $2,014,256. Insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ROK opened at $308.13 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $256.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $275.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.73 billion, a PE ratio of 38.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.32. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $215.00 and a 52 week high of $310.78.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.36. The company had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.50 EPS. Analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.70%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.99%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ROK shares. TD Cowen raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $275.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Loop Capital increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $283.00 to $327.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $283.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $310.37.

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.

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