Rockwell Automation Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

Rockwell Automation Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

• Sales up 1 percent; organic sales up 1.5 percent

• Adjusted EPS of $1.23; Diluted EPS of $1.14

• Company reaffirms Adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal 2013 of $5.35 - $5.75

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYS: ROK) today reported fiscal 2013 first quarter sales of $1,489.2 million, up 1 percent from $1,473.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2012. Organic sales increased 1.5 percent and currency translation reduced sales by less than 1 percentage point.

Rockwell Automation, whose controls make factories run more efficiently, posted a 1 percent sales increase. (Photo: Business Wire)

Adjusted EPS was $1.23 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to Adjusted EPS of $1.31 in the first quarter of fiscal 2012. Diluted EPS was $1.14 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $1.27 last year. Total segment operating earnings were $276.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $291.9 million in the same period of 2012. Total segment operating margin was 18.5 percent compared to an unusually strong margin of 19.8 percent a year ago.

In order to provide transparency into the operating results of its business, effective with this first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company is providing non-GAAP measures (Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate) that exclude non-operating pension costs and their related tax effects. The Company defines non-operating pension costs as defined benefit plan interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of actuarial gains and losses and the impacts of any plan curtailments or settlements. In addition, the Company has redefined segment operating earnings to exclude non-operating pension costs. Prior year results are provided on a comparable basis.

Commenting on the results, Keith D. Nosbusch, chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Total company sales were in line with our expectations for the quarter, but results by region were mixed. Strong growth in Latin America and the U.S. was mostly offset by declines in the other regions, consistent with underlying market conditions. Solutions order rates picked up in the quarter and we rebuilt backlog. Operating margin and free cash flow were both very good. Overall, I am pleased with the good start to the fiscal year."

Outlook

Commenting on the outlook, Nosbusch added, "Given first quarter results and our current assessment of market conditions, we are reaffirming our outlook for fiscal 2013. We expect sales to be in the range of $6.35 to $6.65 billion, with corresponding Adjusted EPS of $5.35 to $5.75. Stabilization of macroeconomic indicators and forecasts, coupled with our rebuilt backlog, reinforce our expectations of stronger growth in the second half of the year compared to the first half. We will continue to monitor business conditions closely and pace our investments accordingly."

Following is a discussion of first quarter results for both segments.

Architecture & Software

Architecture & Software fiscal 2013 first quarter sales were $657.5 million, an increase of 1 percent from $650.5 million last year. Organic sales increased 2 percent and currency translation reduced sales by 1 percentage point. Segment operating earnings were $183.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $189.2 million in 2012. Segment operating margin was 27.9 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to 29.1 percent a year ago.

Control Products & Solutions

Control Products & Solutions fiscal 2013 first quarter sales were $831.7 million, an increase of 1 percent from $823.4 million last year. Acquisitions and currency translation had a minimal impact. Segment operating earnings were $92.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $102.7 million in 2012. Segment operating margin was 11.2 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to 12.5 percent a year ago.

Other Information

Free cash flow was $156.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.

Fiscal 2013 first quarter general corporate net expense decreased to $18.5 million from $20.2 million in 2012.

The Adjusted Effective Tax Rate for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 was 26.6 percent compared to 24.9 percent a year ago. The Company now expects the full-year Adjusted Effective Tax Rate for fiscal 2013 to be in the range of 25 to 26 percent, which includes the impact of the extension of the research and development credit for years 2012 and 2013 under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company repurchased 1.2 million shares of its common stock at a cost of $87.8 million. At December 31, 2012, $848.9 million remained available under the $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization.

Organic sales, total segment operating earnings, total segment operating margin, Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate, free cash flow and return on invested capital are non-GAAP measures that are reconciled to GAAP measures in the attachments to this release.

Conference Call

A conference call to discuss our financial results will take place at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time on January 30, 2013. The call and related financial charts will be webcast and accessible via the Rockwell Automation website (http://www.rockwellautomation.com/investors/).

This news release contains statements (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "estimate", "project", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "will", "intend" and other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to:

• macroeconomic factors, including global and regional business conditions, the availability and cost of capital, the cyclical nature of our customers' capital spending, sovereign debt concerns and currency exchange rates;

• laws, regulations and governmental policies affecting our activities in the countries where we do business;

• the successful development of advanced technologies and demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products;

• the availability, effectiveness and security of our information technology systems;

• competitive products, services and solutions and pricing pressures, and our ability to provide high quality products, services and solutions;

• a disruption of our operations and supply chain due to natural disasters, acts of war, strikes, terrorism, social unrest or other causes;

• our ability to protect confidential information and enforce our intellectual property rights;

• our ability to successfully address claims by taxing authorities in the various jurisdictions where we do business;

• our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;

• our ability to manage costs related to employee retirement and health care benefits;

• the uncertainties of litigation, including liabilities related to the safety and security of the products, services and solutions we sell or to alleged intellectual property infringements;

• our ability to manage and mitigate the risks associated with our solutions business;

• a disruption of our distribution channels;

• the availability and price of components and materials;

• the successful integration and management of acquired businesses;

• the successful execution of our cost productivity and globalization initiatives; and

• other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

These forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs as of the date of filing this release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYS: ROK) , the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs over 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

¹ Total segment operating earnings and total segment operating margin are non-GAAP financial measures. We believe that these measures are useful to investors as measures of operating performance. We use these measures to monitor and evaluate the profitability of our Company. Our measures of total segment operating earnings and total segment operating margin may be different from those used by other companies.

² Beginning in fiscal 2013, we reclassified for all periods presented non-operating pension costs to a separate line item within the above table. Previously, these costs were included in segment operating earnings and general corporate, net. Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP earnings measure that excludes the non-operating pension costs and their related income tax effects. See "Other Supplemental Information - Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate" section on page 11 for more information regarding non-operating pension costs and a reconciliation to GAAP measures.