Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Stock: Insider Blake Moret Purchases 4,000 Shares

Key Points

• CEO Blake Moret purchased 4,000 shares at an average price of $386.36, spending about $1.55 million and increasing his direct ownership by 4.2% to 99,285 shares.
• Rockwell Automation reported quarterly earnings of $3.88 per share, beating estimates of $3.69, while revenue of $2.33 billion came in below forecasts; revenue rose 0.7% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend from $1.38 to $1.45 per share. Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $471.33.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) CEO Blake Moret bought 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $386.36 per share, with a total value of $1,545,440.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,285 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $38,359,752.60. This represents a 4.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:ROK traded up $13.09 during trading on Monday, hitting $388.95. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,434,298 shares, compared to its average volume of 870,680. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.11. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $347.53 and a fifty-two week high of $497.36. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $429.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $427.32. The company has a market capitalization of $43.19 billion, a PE ratio of 30.99, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.51.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The industrial products company reported $3.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.69 by $0.19. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 15.68%. The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.34 earnings per share. Rockwell Automation's revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.500-15.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 15.00 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.45 per share. This is an increase from Rockwell Automation's previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $5.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Rockwell Automation by 2.2% during the second quarter. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,038 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,980 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $862,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,529,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Finivi Inc. lifted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Finivi Inc. now owns 2,935 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,453,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Uncommon Cents Investing Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Uncommon Cents Investing Inc now owns 3,130 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,363,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.75% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ROK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $445.00 to $430.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $520.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Friday, October 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $510.00 to $485.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, September 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $426.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $550.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $471.33.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc is an industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its roots date to 1903, when it was founded as the Compression Rheostat Company.

The company provides hardware, software and services that help manufacturers automate and manage industrial operations. Its offerings include control systems, sensors, motor-control products, industrial software and services for optimizing production and maintaining equipment. Its Allen-Bradley and FactoryTalk brands are among its best-known product lines.

Rockwell Automation serves customers across a range of industries and operates in markets around the world.

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