Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Sells 2,831 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK - Free Report) by 11.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,546 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,831 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $7,000,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. KLCM Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 1,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $325,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 9.4% during the third quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,728 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $780,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 676.7% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 32,156 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $9,984,000 after acquiring an additional 28,016 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 11,423 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,266,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLC now owns 85,551 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,562,000 after purchasing an additional 4,093 shares in the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Rockwell Automation Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of Rockwell Automation stock traded down $3.54 on Friday, reaching $269.96. 1,196,043 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,036,966. The company has a market capitalization of $30.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.43. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $252.11 and a 52 week high of $348.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.25. The firm's 50-day moving average is $283.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $284.27.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.62 by ($0.58). The company had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.08 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.35% and a return on equity of 37.22%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.46 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 12.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Rockwell Automation's dividend payout ratio is presently 47.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Rockwell Automation from $357.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $269.00 to $265.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $290.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Rockwell Automation from $324.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, UBS Group raised Rockwell Automation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $305.00 to $360.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $310.08.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Brian A. Shepherd sold 637 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.87, for a total value of $167,448.19. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,088 shares in the company, valued at $1,337,482.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Brian A. Shepherd sold 637 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.87, for a total transaction of $167,448.19. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 5,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,337,482.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Scott Genereux sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total transaction of $145,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,383 shares in the company, valued at $691,070. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 17,877 shares of company stock valued at $5,058,772 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

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.