DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Rockwell Automation Inc.'s (ROK) fiscal third-quarter earnings
rose 50% as strong architectural and design revenue and steady
margins delivered better-than-expected results.
The company raised its full-year earnings view to $4.55 to $4.65
with revenue at about $5.9 billion, up from its April guidance of
$4.40 to $4.60 a share with revenue of $5.7 billion to $5.8
billion.
The maker of factory-automation equipment and software has now
posted six straight quarters of double-digit sales growth on strong
demand from emerging markets, especially in China and India.
The company last month boosted its quarterly dividend 21%,
citing confidence in its performance through varying business
cycles.
For the quarter ended June 30, Rockwell reported a profit of
$179.5 million, or $1.23 a share, up from $119.4 million, or 83
cents a share, a year earlier. The latest quarter included about a
penny per-share of discontinued operations. Revenue rose 20% to
$1.52 billion.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a $1.19
per-share profit with revenue of $1.48 billion.
Gross margin was unchanged at 40%.
Revenue jumped 21% in the company's architecture and software
business, while its larger control-products unit posted 18% higher
sales.
Shares closed Wednesday at $77.07 and were inactive premarket.
The stock has climbed 41% over the past year.
-By Drew FitzGerald, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2909;
Andrew.FitzGerald@dowjones.com