Insider Selling: Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) SVP Sells $168,056.00 in Stock

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) SVP Matheus De Viera Bulho sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $420.14, for a total transaction of $168,056.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 867 shares in the company, valued at $364,261.38. The trade was a 31.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ROK opened at $434.18 on Friday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $332.71 and a fifty-two week high of $497.36. The business has a 50-day moving average of $453.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $428.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.11. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 39.83% and a net margin of 13.39%.The business had revenue of $2.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.82 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 9th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ROK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $555.00 to $536.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research downgraded Rockwell Automation from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $514.00 price objective on Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Argus increased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $465.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Rockwell Automation from $501.00 to $514.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $469.14.

Key Headlines Impacting Rockwell Automation

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised most forward EPS estimates. Zacks Research increased its forecasts for Q4 2026, Q2-Q4 2027, FY2026, FY2027, Q3 2028 and FY2028. The firm now expects $13.17 EPS for FY2026, $14.39 for FY2027 and $16.78 for FY2028, suggesting improving expectations for Rockwell Automation’s longer-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained a Buy rating. The continued bullish view from a major brokerage provides supportive sentiment for ROK, although the broader analyst consensus remains Hold. Morgan Stanley Remains a Buy on Rockwell Automation
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results and capital returns remain supportive. Rockwell’s latest quarter exceeded EPS and revenue expectations, with revenue up 7.9% year over year. The company also has authorization for up to $1 billion in share repurchases and pays a quarterly dividend, which may enhance shareholder returns.
• Neutral Sentiment: The investment case is constructive but not uniformly bullish. Zacks maintained a Hold rating, and the consensus target of approximately $469.14 implies potential upside but also reflects caution at ROK’s current valuation. A recent comparison of Rockwell with other Internet of Things companies may influence sector sentiment but provides no clear company-specific catalyst. Q2 earnings highlights: Rockwell Automation vs. Internet of Things stocks
• Negative Sentiment: One near-term EPS estimate was trimmed. Zacks lowered its Q1 2027 forecast to $2.93 from $2.97, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold shares. SVP Matheus Bulho sold 400 shares for about $168,056 after selling 467 shares earlier. Because the transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, they are a limited bearish signal. Rockwell Automation insider share sale

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $281,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 75.9% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,139 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,059,000 after purchasing an additional 3,513 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 142.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,305 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,887,000 after purchasing an additional 4,295 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 233.6% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,878 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $484,000 after purchasing an additional 1,315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation in the second quarter worth $868,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% 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.