GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 347 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,347 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $671,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 96 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the second quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. increased its position in Rockwell Automation by 1,707.7% in the third quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 235 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:ROK opened at $282.79 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $286.42 and its 200 day moving average is $273.25. The stock has a market cap of $31.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.36. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $242.81 and a 52-week high of $307.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.06 billion. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.42% and a net margin of 11.53%. The business’s revenue was down 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.37 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. This is a positive change from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is currently 63.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on ROK. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $313.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Barclays raised Rockwell Automation from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. BNP Paribas started coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $345.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $290.00 to $350.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rockwell Automation currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $301.17.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In related news, VP Scott Genereux sold 278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $302.04, for a total transaction of $83,967.12. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 3,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $961,695.36. This trade represents a 8.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 26,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.63, for a total transaction of $7,973,421.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 78,115 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,327,482.45. This represents a 25.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 35,541 shares of company stock valued at $10,586,674. Company insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation 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.