Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the fifteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $286.47.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ROK. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $304.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $245.00 to $227.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 12th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. ESL Trust Services LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Cooksen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

Shares of ROK stock opened at $272.82 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.36. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $264.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $267.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.68. Rockwell Automation has a 12 month low of $242.81 and a 12 month high of $312.76.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The industrial products company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.63. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.03 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 11.56% and a return on equity of 34.09%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.01 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation will post 9.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, September 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes 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 board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.