Rockwell Automation Beats Up on Analysts Yet Again

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Rockwell Automation (NYS: ROK) reported earnings on Jan. 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q1), Rockwell Automation missed on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew and earnings per share expanded significantly.

Margins grew across the board.

Revenue details
Rockwell Automation reported revenue of $1.5 billion. The 10 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected to see a top line of $1.5 billion. Sales were 7.9% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.4 billion.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions.

EPS details
EPS came in at $1.27. The 13 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $1.20 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.27 for Q1 were 22% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.04 per share.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Figures may be non-GAAP to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 42%, 220 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 17.4%, 300 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 12.4%, 140 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $1.6 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.27.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $6.4 billion. The average EPS estimate is $5.34.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Rockwell Automation is outperform, with an average price target of $82.60.

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At the time thisarticle was published Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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