Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Given New $400.00 Price Target at Barclays

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) had its price objective trimmed by Barclays from $450.00 to $400.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Evercore started coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Monday, December 15th. They issued an “in-line” rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research lowered Rockwell Automation from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Oppenheimer downgraded Rockwell Automation from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Rockwell Automation from $410.00 to $360.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.67.

Rockwell Automation Stock Performance

NYSE ROK opened at $369.25 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.16. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $389.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $381.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.54. Rockwell Automation has a fifty-two week low of $215.00 and a fifty-two week high of $438.72.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.08 billion. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 34.92% and a net margin of 11.56%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.83 EPS. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.400-12.200 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Rockwell Automation will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Rockwell Automation’s dividend payout ratio is 63.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Christopher Nardecchia sold 14,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.01, for a total value of $5,930,794.65. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,835,262.32. The trade was a 50.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Matthew W. Fordenwalt sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $404.21, for a total value of $485,052.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,793,479.77. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 49,228 shares of company stock valued at $19,992,391. Insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rockwell Automation

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 0.7% in the 4th 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. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position 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 worth $549,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 1,446 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,202 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $468,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 440 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. 75.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Rockwell Automation

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its price target to $400 but kept an “overweight” rating, signaling continued conviction in ROK’s longer‑term growth even after pulling back near‑term expectations. Barclays adjusts price target
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird lowered its target to $410, which still implies meaningful upside versus current levels — a vote that ROK’s fundamentals remain attractive to some buy‑side analysts. Baird lowers price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Rockwell launched a new season of its ROKStudios video series on the automation→autonomy journey — positive for branding and customer engagement but unlikely to move near‑term earnings. ROKStudios video series
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage taking a fresh look at ROK’s valuation after a rebound—useful context for investors assessing whether current multiples (still elevated) are justified by growth and software momentum. Valuation analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded ROK from Buy to Hold and slashed its target (reports show reductions to $380 and commentary citing limited re‑rating potential), a headline that pressured sentiment and highlights concerns about valuation vs. growth. Jefferies downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target to $360 and moved to an “equal weight” stance — a direct downgrade in expected near‑term upside that may add selling pressure. Wells Fargo price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: Critical retail/strategy pieces (e.g., “3 Reasons ROK is Risky”) are amplifying worries about valuation and competition, which can sway momentum traders and retail flows. Critical article

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.