Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Holdings Reduced by Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC

Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 73.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,980 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,537 shares during the period. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $566,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the third quarter worth $26,000. West Oak Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 455.6% in the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of ROK opened at $276.55 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $242.81 and a 12 month high of $308.70. The company’s fifty day moving average is $284.25 and its 200-day moving average is $278.91. The firm has a market cap of $31.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 30.17% and a net margin of 11.38%. Equities analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a $1.31 dividend. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on ROK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $257.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $345.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. HSBC raised shares of Rockwell Automation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $355.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Loop Capital raised their target price on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Rockwell Automation from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $308.47.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Isaac Woods sold 895 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.72, for a total value of $245,874.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,198 shares in the company, valued at approximately $329,114.56. This represents a 42.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Scott Genereux sold 500 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.14, for a total transaction of $145,070.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $552,716.70. This trade represents a 20.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,352 shares of company stock valued at $1,246,298. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.