Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK Stock Position Lowered by Drystone LLC

Drystone LLC lessened its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,216 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,243 shares during the period. Rockwell Automation comprises approximately 9.5% of Drystone LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Drystone LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $11,494,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Rockwell Automation by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,038 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. grew its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. now owns 1,358 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $487,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 574 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $206,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 3,719 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,544,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 1,412 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rockwell Automation

In related news, SVP Matheus De A. G. Viera Bulho sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $420.14, for a total transaction of $168,056.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 867 shares in the company, valued at $364,261.38. The trade was a 31.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Christian E. Rothe sold 590 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.30, for a total transaction of $256,237.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,529,314.70. The trade was a 5.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,557 shares of company stock valued at $1,098,256. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Rockwell Automation News

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

Rockwell Automation Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:ROK opened at $434.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $48.22 billion, a PE ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $332.71 and a 12-month high of $497.36. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $453.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $428.18.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $2.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.82 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 9th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the industrial products company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Rockwell Automation from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $500.00 to $490.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $514.00 price target on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $469.14.

About Rockwell Automation

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.