Rockwell Automation, Inc. - ROK STOCK NEWS

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) has appointed Paolo Butti as regional president of Global Industries, reporting to Scott Genereux, SVP and Chief Revenue Officer. Butti succeeds Jane Barr, who has become President, Americas Region. In his new role, Butti will lead global account sales teams and provide strategic direction.

Butti, who joined Rockwell in 2012, previously served as global vice president of OEM Segments and Emerging Industries. He brings over 25 years of experience in automotive, robotics, and industrial automation. He holds advanced degrees from the University of Bologna, University of Torino, and Politecnico di Milano. His new position will be based at Rockwell's Milwaukee headquarters.

Rockwell Automation has implemented an energy-saving solution at West Fraser's plant in Cowie, Scotland, using Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) technology. The installation includes a CENTERLINE 1500 medium-voltage motor control center and three PowerFlex 6000T medium-voltage VFDs for fan applications.

By reducing motor speed by 25%, the solution achieved approximately 60% reduction in motor energy consumption, resulting in annual savings exceeding $266,000. The Intelligent Packaged Power (IPP) solution provides real-time equipment data access, enabling better decision-making while helping West Fraser progress toward its carbon-reduction goals.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) and Microsoft have expanded their strategic collaboration to revolutionize industrial transformation through advanced cloud and AI solutions. The partnership introduces several key innovations: Azure IoT Operations integration with FactoryTalk® Optix™ for enhanced data insights, FactoryTalk Design Studio Copilot powered by Microsoft AI for improved PLC code creation, and the FT Optix Food & Beverage model leveraging Microsoft's Phi-3 small language models for AI-guided manufacturing operations. These solutions aim to streamline operations, enhance scalability, and drive operational efficiency across the manufacturing sector.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) launches its 33rd annual Automation Fair® 2024 in Anaheim, California, bringing together over 10,000 industry leaders and innovators. The event, themed 'Make It Matter,' features more than 130 interactive exhibits, 275+ educational sessions, and 450+ hours of advanced training. The fair focuses on driving innovation, collaboration, and simplification to achieve resilience, agility, and sustainability in industrial automation.

The event includes daily keynotes, an expo spanning half-million square feet, hands-on labs, product demonstrations, and off-site tours to local industrial facilities. Attendees can customize their experience through various training sessions and networking opportunities with industry experts.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) and Kezzler have partnered to address food traceability challenges in response to new FDA requirements. The collaboration combines Rockwell's Plex and FactoryTalk solutions with Kezzler's digital ID technology to enable comprehensive food tracking from origin to finished product. This initiative aims to help companies comply with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements, which mandate additional record-keeping for high-risk foods by January 20, 2026. The solution helps track ingredients through Traceability Lot Codes, enhancing compliance, operational efficiency, and consumer safety in response to the WHO's estimate that 600 million people globally fall ill from contaminated food annually.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) announces integration of NVIDIA Omniverse APIs into its Emulate3D digital twin software, planned for early 2025. The integration aims to enhance factory operations through AI and physics-based simulation technology. The collaboration will enable improved visualization and simulation capabilities for manufacturing environments, allowing multiple dynamic digital twins to be combined and visualized as a complete factory through a web app.

The solution offers hyperscale capabilities, cloud-based deployment options, vendor-agnostic connectivity, and a unified web app for stakeholder visualization. This technology particularly targets industries like consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, life sciences, semiconductor manufacturing, automotive, and material handling.

Rockwell Automation reported Q4 2024 and full year results, highlighting significant declines. Q4 reported and organic sales were down 21% year-over-year, with diluted EPS at $2.09 (down 20%) and adjusted EPS at $2.47 (down 32%). Full year reported sales decreased 9% and organic sales were down 10%. Full year diluted EPS was $8.28 (down 31%), and adjusted EPS was $9.71 (down 20%). Cash flow from operations was $864 million (down 37%) and free cash flow was $639 million (down 47%).

Fiscal 2025 guidance projects reported and organic sales growth between (4)% to 2%, with diluted EPS ranging from $7.65 to $8.85 and adjusted EPS from $8.60 to $9.80. Despite lower-than-expected orders, there was solid operating performance, particularly in the Lifecycle Services segment, which saw a 3% increase in Q4 sales and a 17.4% operating margin.

Divcon Controls has partnered with Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) as a Best-in-Class Partner to deliver innovative solutions for mission-critical data center customers. The partnership leverages Rockwell's advanced Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to improve energy efficiency, asset reliability, and sustainability. Divcon recently implemented a three-tiered redundancy control system solution for a customer, featuring Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels of redundancy. The Advanced solution includes dual Programmable Controllers with an internal redundancy network, ensuring continuous operation even during component failures.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) has announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.31 per share, up from the previous $1.25. The dividend will be paid on December 10, 2024, to shareholders of record as of November 18, 2024. This dividend increase demonstrates the company's strong financial position and commitment to shareholder returns.