XTX Topco Ltd Acquires New Position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd has acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation, purchasing 7,477 shares valued at approximately $1.93 million.
• Insiders, including senior vice president Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho, have recently sold a significant amount of stocks, with insider sales totaling $3.14 million over the last ninety days.
• Dividend announcement: Rockwell Automation will pay a quarterly dividend of $1.31 per share, with an ex-dividend date on August 18.

XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 7,477 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,932,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ROK. Citizens National Bank Trust Department acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of ROK stock traded down $7.29 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $344.42. The company had a trading volume of 1,087,024 shares, compared to its average volume of 788,511. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.05. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $215.00 and a twelve month high of $360.92. The company has a market capitalization of $38.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.39. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $334.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $292.37.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.36. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 11.38%. The business had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $350.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Bank of America raised Rockwell Automation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $360.00 to $410.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. BNP Paribas raised Rockwell Automation from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $392.00 price target (up previously from $371.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Finally, CICC Research assumed coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research note on Monday, July 7th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $381.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $341.11.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In other news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 289 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.33, for a total transaction of $94,309.37. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 3,196 shares in the company, valued at $1,042,950.68. This trade represents a 8.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 363 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.32, for a total value of $118,454.16. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,325,838.16. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,757 shares of company stock valued at $3,138,220. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.