Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Cuts Stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. $ROK

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC cut its holdings in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 165,437 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,508 shares during the quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Rockwell Automation worth $57,825,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fiduciary Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $238,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 11.6% during the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 2,039 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $713,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the period. Octavia Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation in the third quarter worth approximately $208,000. Procyon Advisors LLC raised its stake in Rockwell Automation by 11.8% in the third quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 1,842 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $644,000 after buying an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 5.9% during the third quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,363 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $826,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, December 15th. They issued an “in-line” rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $400.00 to $404.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $435.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $380.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $406.69.

Rockwell Automation News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded Rockwell to a buy (supporting upside expectations and investor confidence). Rockwell Automation (ROK) Receives a Buy from Morgan Stanley
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Rockwell’s strong history of earnings surprises and says the company has the attributes that make another beat likely — a positive for short‑term sentiment ahead of upcoming reports. Will Rockwell Automation (ROK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also profiles ROK as a long‑term momentum stock, reinforcing investor interest from momentum/style investors. Why Rockwell Automation (ROK) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged several near‑term EPS estimates slightly higher (Q1 and Q4 adjustments), a modest fundamental positive that helps justify current multiple. MarketBeat / Zacks estimate notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Rockwell released its 2025 Sustainability Report — supportive for long‑term ESG positioning but unlikely to move near‑term trading materially. Rockwell Automation 2025 Sustainability Report Issued
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (valuation checks and a Daktronics comparison) provide context for investors deciding between growth/momentum vs pure value plays; these are informative but not market‑moving. DAKT or ROK: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target modestly to $404 but kept a neutral rating — the PT implies downside versus the current quote and signals caution from a major house. Benzinga note on JPMorgan price target
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks slightly trimmed FY2028 EPS estimates (tiny adjustment) — not a large fundamental change but contributes to mixed near‑term guidance/expectations. MarketBeat / Zacks estimate notes

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Scott Genereux sold 1,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $402.03, for a total value of $557,615.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 4,514 shares in the company, valued at $1,814,763.42. This trade represents a 23.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Tessa M. Myers sold 1,020 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $402.07, for a total value of $410,111.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 6,021 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,420,863.47. This trade represents a 14.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 88,053 shares of company stock valued at $34,718,919. Insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Rockwell Automation Stock Down 1.3%

ROK stock opened at $415.75 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $215.00 and a 52 week high of $425.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.68 billion, a PE ratio of 54.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $396.62 and a 200 day moving average of $364.95.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.40. The business had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.19 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 10.42% and a return on equity of 32.69%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.47 earnings per share. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.200-12.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This is a boost from Rockwell Automation’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.06%.

Rockwell Automation 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.