HM Payson & Co. Sells 300 Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK)

HM Payson & Co. decreased its position in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 7.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,873 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. HM Payson & Co.’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $1,128,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Security National Bank purchased a new position in Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 4.2 %

Rockwell Automation stock traded down $11.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $253.47. The company had a trading volume of 831,550 shares, compared to its average volume of 723,806. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $265.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $275.63. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $249.00 and a 12 month high of $317.74. The company has a market capitalization of $28.90 billion, a PE ratio of 24.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 1.37.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $2.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.05 billion. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 34.83% and a net margin of 13.19%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.01 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. Rockwell Automation’s payout ratio is currently 48.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ROK. Citigroup reduced their target price on Rockwell Automation from $322.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Loop Capital reduced their target price on Rockwell Automation from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Rockwell Automation from $312.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Rockwell Automation from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Rockwell Automation from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Rockwell Automation currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $294.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP John M. Miller sold 467 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $273.27, for a total transaction of $127,617.09. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,800 shares in the company, valued at $1,311,696. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 248 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.37, for a total transaction of $63,579.76. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 4,246 shares in the company, valued at $1,088,547.02. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP John M. Miller sold 467 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $273.27, for a total value of $127,617.09. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,311,696. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,199 shares of company stock valued at $572,750 over the last ninety days. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.