Rockwell Automation Q4 Adj. EPS Tops View; Issues FY15 Adj. EPS Outlook

(RTTNews) - Rockwell Automation Inc. (ROK) said that its fourth quarter net income was $248.7 million or $1.79 per share, up from $215.3 million or $1.53 per share in the prior year quarter.

Adjusted earnings per share were $1.86, up 15% from $1.62 in the comparable quarter last year. On average, 19 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $1.82 per share. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Sales for the latest fourth quarter were $1.78 billion, up 3.9 percent from $1.72 billion in the year-ago period, while 18 analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $1.80 billion. Organic sales also grew 4.4 percent.

Looking ahead to fiscal 2015, the company said it expects adjusted earnings of $6.55 to $6.95 per share and projects organic sales growth of 2.5 percent to 6.5 percent. Wall Street currently is looking for fiscal year 2015 earnings of $6.81 per share.