Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $327.15 and last traded at $326.75, with a volume of 198358 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $324.33.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on ROK. Barclays raised shares of Rockwell Automation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $283.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Friday, May 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. BNP Paribas upgraded Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, TD Cowen raised Rockwell Automation from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $275.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $316.21.

Rockwell Automation Trading Up 0.9%

The business has a 50 day moving average of $270.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $278.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.36. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.97 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.50 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.99%.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In related news, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 223 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $313.97, for a total transaction of $70,015.31. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,007,529.73. This trade represents a 6.50% 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, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 293 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.68, for a total transaction of $75,500.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,260.96. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,405 shares of company stock worth $1,640,796. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Citizens National Bank Trust Department bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Cooksen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.