Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at UBS Group

Equities research analysts at UBS Group began coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) in a research report issued on Wednesday. The firm set a “neutral” rating and a $313.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 12.64% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ROK. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $227.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $285.13.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

NYSE:ROK opened at $277.88 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm has a market cap of $31.53 billion, a PE ratio of 33.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.36. Rockwell Automation has a 12 month low of $242.81 and a 12 month high of $312.76. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $267.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $266.55.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.07. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 30.42%. The firm had revenue of $2.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.64 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation will post 9.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, September 5th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 3.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rockwell Automation news, SVP Veena M. Lakkundi sold 579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.86, for a total value of $154,511.94. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 4,576 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,221,151.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Rockwell Automation by 4.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 73,805 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $21,502,000 after acquiring an additional 3,194 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the first quarter worth about $66,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Rockwell Automation by 18.8% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 49,947 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $14,550,000 after acquiring an additional 7,919 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in Rockwell Automation by 15.0% in the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,294 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $960,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the period. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 3,446 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,004,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. 75.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.