Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 200 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

Securian Asset Management Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,018 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $1,720,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 5.7% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,486 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $667,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Versor Investments LP bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 3rd quarter worth $409,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter worth about $912,000. Finally, Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Rockwell Automation by 22.7% in the third quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,900 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $510,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ROK shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $305.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $315.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $240.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $307.68.

Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation

In related news, VP Isaac Woods sold 895 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.72, for a total value of $245,874.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,198 shares in the company, valued at $329,114.56. This trade represents a 42.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Terry L. Riesterer sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.21, for a total transaction of $255,178.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,633 shares in the company, valued at approximately $490,242.93. The trade was a 34.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,352 shares of company stock valued at $1,246,298 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Rockwell Automation stock opened at $255.30 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.79, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.39. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $242.81 and a 52-week high of $308.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $282.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $278.64.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.22. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 30.17%. On average, equities analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $1.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.26%.

About Rockwell Automation

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.