Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $340.1579.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ROK. Wall Street Zen raised Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 21st. Citigroup restated 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. Wells Fargo & Company set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $360.00 to $410.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Monday, July 7th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $381.00 price target on the stock.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In related news, Director James P. Keane sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.06, for a total value of $1,068,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,192 shares in the company, valued at $3,272,903.52. This trade represents a 24.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Cyril Perducat sold 1,435 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $348.08, for a total value of $499,494.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,318,178.96. The trade was a 27.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,922 shares of company stock worth $11,191,812 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ROK. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter worth $281,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 10,570 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,021,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,047 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,729,000 after buying an additional 1,955 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,031 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $783,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Agate Pass Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 58.2% in the 1st quarter. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC now owns 4,280 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,106,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares during the period. 75.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rockwell Automation Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE:ROK opened at $343.95 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.37, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 1.41. Rockwell Automation has a 52 week low of $215.00 and a 52 week high of $360.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $345.37 and a 200 day moving average of $308.59.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.15. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 12.03% and a return on equity of 30.14%. The business had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.71 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.