Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK is Drystone LLC’s 3rd Largest Position

Drystone LLC lowered its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 23,216 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,243 shares during the period. Rockwell Automation accounts for about 9.5% of Drystone LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Drystone LLC’s holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $11,494,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,129,376,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in Rockwell Automation by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,996,130 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,943,844,000 after acquiring an additional 202,705 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,924,501 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,133,397,000 after acquiring an additional 17,855 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,921,840 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,136,801,000 after acquiring an additional 276,021 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,104,985 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $818,986,000 after acquiring an additional 24,719 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Argus raised their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $465.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $514.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $525.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $555.00 to $536.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $469.14.

Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, CFO Christian E. Rothe sold 590 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.30, for a total value of $256,237.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 10,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,529,314.70. This represents a 5.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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. Also, Director Patricia A. Watson sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $431.43, for a total value of $474,573.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,754,680.55. The trade was a 14.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,557 shares of company stock worth $1,098,256. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More 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%

ROK stock opened at $434.18 on Friday. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $332.71 and a twelve month high of $497.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $453.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $428.18.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $3.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.11. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.39% and a return on equity of 39.83%. The firm had revenue of $2.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.82 EPS. The business’s 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, analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 13.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

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

Rockwell Automation declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 9th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.