Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Trims Stock Position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC decreased its stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 3.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 165,437 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,508 shares during the quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $57,825,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 5.7% in the second quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,192 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $728,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation during the 2nd quarter valued at about $294,000. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at about $281,000. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 796.0% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 97,367 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,342,000 after purchasing an additional 86,500 shares during the period. Finally, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation during the third quarter worth approximately $777,000. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on ROK shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $391.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $439.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $380.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $406.69.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ROK opened at $415.75 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $396.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $364.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.52. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $215.00 and a 52 week high of $425.90.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.19 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 10.42% and a return on equity of 32.69%. Rockwell Automation’s revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.47 EPS. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.200-12.200 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is presently 72.06%.

Rockwell Automation News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Rockwell Automation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded Rockwell to a buy (supporting upside expectations and investor confidence). Rockwell Automation (ROK) Receives a Buy from Morgan Stanley
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Rockwell’s strong history of earnings surprises and says the company has the attributes that make another beat likely — a positive for short‑term sentiment ahead of upcoming reports. Will Rockwell Automation (ROK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also profiles ROK as a long‑term momentum stock, reinforcing investor interest from momentum/style investors. Why Rockwell Automation (ROK) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged several near‑term EPS estimates slightly higher (Q1 and Q4 adjustments), a modest fundamental positive that helps justify current multiple. MarketBeat / Zacks estimate notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Rockwell released its 2025 Sustainability Report — supportive for long‑term ESG positioning but unlikely to move near‑term trading materially. Rockwell Automation 2025 Sustainability Report Issued
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (valuation checks and a Daktronics comparison) provide context for investors deciding between growth/momentum vs pure value plays; these are informative but not market‑moving. DAKT or ROK: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target modestly to $404 but kept a neutral rating — the PT implies downside versus the current quote and signals caution from a major house. Benzinga note on JPMorgan price target
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks slightly trimmed FY2028 EPS estimates (tiny adjustment) — not a large fundamental change but contributes to mixed near‑term guidance/expectations. MarketBeat / Zacks estimate notes

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 476 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $402.02, for a total transaction of $191,361.52. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,401 shares in the company, valued at $965,250.02. The trade was a 16.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Cyril Perducat sold 804 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.05, for a total transaction of $323,248.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 5,858 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,355,208.90. The trade was a 12.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 88,053 shares of company stock worth $34,718,919 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Company Profile

Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries.

The company’s product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand.