Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation's revenue rose 0.9% to $8.3 billion in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 20.4%, up from 19.3% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $1.4 billion, up 112.5%. It paid out $1.0 billion in dividends and buybacks, 75% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 1.2%.
Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.
Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.
Revenue and margins
Net income and earnings per share
From fiscal 2016 to 2025, earnings per share grew 3.6% a year and net income 2.0% a year, as buybacks cut the share count by 14%.
Returns on capital
Cash flow
Payouts and share count
Valuation
Two ways to value Rockwell Automation yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.
Discounted cash flow (DCF)
A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from Rockwell Automation's 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.
Value per share on three example scenarios, from Rockwell Automation's fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $1.4B, net cash of −$2.8B at September 30, 2025 and 113 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to Rockwell Automation: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, 2.4% a year; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 9% for a business of moderate risk (Electrical Components & Equipment); the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.
- Last close, October 26, 2026
- $429.89
- Value on these assumptions, against the last close
- —
- Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today
- —
- Everything after year 10, valued today
- —
- Plus net cash
- —
- Share of value from after year 10
How the value changes with two assumptions
Price-to-earnings (P/E) method
Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.
Value per share on three example scenarios, from Rockwell Automation's earnings per share of $10.68 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 33.3×, the middle of Rockwell Automation's own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (its peers' median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 10%, 9% and 8%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.
- Last close, October 26, 2026
- $429.89
- Value at this multiple, against the last close
- —
- Rockwell Automation's P/E at the last close
- 40.3×
| Company | Last close | Earnings per share | P/E today |
|---|---|---|---|
| VertivVRT | $199.78 | $4.42 | 45.2× |
| Rockwell AutomationROK | $429.89 | $10.68 | 40.3× |
| AmetekAME | $242.81 | $6.84 | 35.5× |
| Regal RexnordRRX | $150.48 | $4.85 | 31.0× |
| Acuity BrandsAYI | $318.72 | $17.05 | 18.7× |
Balance sheet
| Fiscal year end | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and short-term investments | 663 | 503 | 1,073 | 471 | 468 |
| Debt incl. finance leases | 3,981 | 3,836 | 2,966 | 3,639 | 3,224 |
| Net debt (negative means net cash) | 3,318 | 3,333 | 1,894 | 3,168 | 2,756 |
| Net debt to EBITDA | 1.8x | 2.3x | 0.9x | 1.7x | 1.4x |
| Debt to equity | 1.7x | 1.4x | 0.8x | 1.0x | 0.9x |
| Interest coverage | 17.1x | 9.7x | 14.3x | 10.4x | 10.9x |
| Current ratio | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.5x | 1.1x | 1.1x |
| Quick ratio | 0.8x | 0.7x | 1.0x | 0.7x | 0.8x |
Insider trades
Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, no insider bought Rockwell Automation shares on the open market, and 14 insiders sold $64.8 million, $62.5 million of it under trading plans set up in advance.
| Date | Insider | Trade | Shares | Price | Value | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | Isaac WoodsVice President and Treasurer | Sold plan | 154 | $432.62 | $66,624 | Form 4 |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Matheus De A G Viera BulhoSVP Software and Control | Sold plan | 400 | $420.14 | $168,056 | Form 4 |
| Aug 31, 2026 | Matheus De A G Viera BulhoSVP Software and Control | Sold plan | 467 | $426.96 | $199,390 | Form 4 |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Patricia A WatsonDirector | Sold | 1,100 | $431.43 | $474,573 | Form 4 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Christian E RotheSr. VP and CFO | Sold plan | 590 | $434.30 | $256,237 | Form 4 |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Terry L. RiestererVice President and Controller | Sold plan | 281 | $453.24 | $127,360 | Form 4 |
| Jun 4, 2026 | Matthew W. FordenwaltSVP Lifecycle Services | Sold plan | 377 | $460.51 | $173,612 | Form 4 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Matthew W. FordenwaltSVP Lifecycle Services | Sold plan | 218 | $456.34 | $99,482 | Form 4 |
| May 20, 2026 | John M MillerVP and Chief IP Counsel | Sold plan | 1,054 | $426.02 | $449,025 | Form 4 |
| May 7, 2026 | Terry L. RiestererVice President and Controller | Sold | 4,024 | $451.97 | $1.8 million | Form 4 |
| May 5, 2026 | Christopher NardecchiaSVP, Chief Information Officer | Sold plan | 2,538 | $446.44 | $1.1 million | Form 4 |
| May 5, 2026 | Matthew W. FordenwaltSVP Lifecycle Services | Sold plan | 600 | $449.58 | $269,747 | Form 4 |
Piotroski F-score
The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.
| Test | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net income is positive | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Cash from operations is positive | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Return on assets rose | Pass | Fail | Fail |
| Cash from operations exceeds net income | Fail | Fail | Pass |
| Debt fell relative to assets | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| Current ratio rose | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| Share count didn't rise | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Gross margin rose | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| Revenue rose relative to assets | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| F-score | 8 of 9 | 3 of 9 | 8 of 9 |
| Accruals ratio | 0.1% | 0.8% | −6.0% |
Compare
Put Rockwell Automation side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.
Similar companies
| Company | Year | Revenue growth | Operating margin | Free cash flow margin | Return on capital | Net debt to EBITDA | F-score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell Automation | FY25 | 0.9% | 20.4% | 16.3% | 20.9% | 1.4x | 8 | |
| Ametek | FY25 | 6.6% | 25.8% | 22.6% | 13.2% | 0.8x | 7 | Compare |
| Vertiv | FY25 | 27.7% | 17.9% | 18.5% | 30.2% | 0.6x | 6 | Compare |
| Regal Rexnord | FY25 | −1.6% | 11.5% | 15.1% | 4.8% | 3.7x | 8 | Compare |
| Acuity Brands | FY26 | 6.8% | 15.4% | 16.1% | 17.9% | 0.1x | 7 | Compare |
10 years of figures
| Fiscal year | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income statement | ||||||||||
| Revenue | 5,880 | 6,311 | 6,666 | 6,695 | 6,330 | 6,997 | 7,760 | 9,058 | 8,264 | 8,342 |
| Revenue growth | −6.8% | 7.3% | 5.6% | 0.4% | −5.5% | 10.6% | 10.9% | 16.7% | −8.8% | 0.9% |
| Gross profit | 2,476 | 2,668 | 2,885 | 2,900 | 2,595 | 2,898 | 3,102 | 4,423 | 3,851 | 4,016 |
| Research and development | 319 | 348 | 372 | 379 | 372 | 422 | 441 | 706 | 658 | 679 |
| Operating income | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,929 | 1,595 | 1,703 |
| Net income | 730 | 826 | 536 | 696 | 1,023 | 1,358 | 932 | 1,387 | 953 | 869 |
| Diluted EPS (US$) | 5.56 | 6.35 | 4.21 | 5.83 | 8.77 | 11.58 | 7.97 | 11.95 | 8.28 | 7.67 |
| Diluted shares (millions) | 131 | 130 | 127 | 119 | 117 | 117 | 117 | 116 | 114 | 113 |
| Cash flow | ||||||||||
| Cash from operations | 947 | 1,034 | 1,300 | 1,182 | 1,120 | 1,261 | 823 | 1,374 | 864 | 1,544 |
| Capital expenditure | 117 | 142 | 126 | 133 | 114 | 120 | 141 | 160 | 225 | 186 |
| Free cash flow | 830 | 892 | 1,174 | 1,049 | 1,007 | 1,141 | 682 | 1,214 | 639 | 1,358 |
| Dividends paid | 378 | 391 | 441 | 460 | 473 | 497 | 519 | 542 | 571 | 591 |
| Share buybacks | 508 | 343 | 1,482 | 1,009 | 264 | 300 | 301 | 312 | 595 | 425 |
| Acquisitions | 139 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 551 | 2,488 | 17 | 168 | 749 | 0 |
| Stock-based compensation | 40 | 38 | 38 | 43 | 46 | 52 | 68 | 88 | 100 | 85 |
| Balance sheet at fiscal year end | ||||||||||
| Cash and short-term investments | 2,429 | 2,536 | 910 | 1,058 | 705 | 663 | 503 | 1,073 | 471 | 468 |
| Debt incl. finance leases | 1,965 | 1,844 | 1,776 | 2,257 | 1,999 | 3,981 | 3,836 | 2,966 | 3,639 | 3,224 |
| Total assets | 7,101 | 7,162 | 6,262 | 6,113 | 7,265 | 10,702 | 10,759 | 11,304 | 11,232 | 11,219 |
| Total liabilities | 5,111 | 4,498 | 4,644 | 5,709 | 5,918 | 8,008 | 7,743 | 7,561 | 7,557 | 7,508 |
| Shareholders' equity | 1,990 | 2,664 | 1,618 | 404 | 1,028 | 2,390 | 2,726 | 3,562 | 3,498 | 3,654 |
| Margins and ratios | ||||||||||
| Gross margin | 42.1% | 42.3% | 43.3% | 43.3% | 41.0% | 41.4% | 40.0% | 48.8% | 46.6% | 48.1% |
| Operating margin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21.3% | 19.3% | 20.4% |
| Net margin | 12.4% | 13.1% | 8.0% | 10.4% | 16.2% | 19.4% | 12.0% | 15.3% | 11.5% | 10.4% |
| Free cash flow margin | 14.1% | 14.1% | 17.6% | 15.7% | 15.9% | 16.3% | 8.8% | 13.4% | 7.7% | 16.3% |
| Return on capital | 50.1% | 50.7% | 31.5% | 37.8% | 52.6% | 33.0% | 16.6% | 25.6% | 22.0% | 20.9% |
| Return on equity | 34.4% | 35.5% | 25.0% | 68.8% | 142.9% | 79.5% | 36.5% | 44.1% | 27.0% | 24.3% |
| Return on assets | 10.8% | 11.6% | 8.0% | 11.2% | 15.3% | 15.1% | 8.7% | 12.6% | 8.5% | 7.7% |
| Net debt to EBITDA | −0.4x | −0.5x | 0.6x | 1.0x | 0.9x | 1.8x | 2.3x | 0.9x | 1.7x | 1.4x |