Rockwell Automation (ROK) Competitors

AMETEK (NYSE:AME) and Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, risk, valuation and institutional ownership.

Do institutionals & insiders hold more shares of AME or ROK?

87.4% of AMETEK shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.8% of Rockwell Automation shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of AMETEK shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Rockwell Automation shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Does the media refer more to AME or ROK?

In the previous week, Rockwell Automation had 14 more articles in the media than AMETEK. MarketBeat recorded 27 mentions for Rockwell Automation and 13 mentions for AMETEK. Rockwell Automation's average media sentiment score of 1.29 beat AMETEK's score of 1.00 indicating that Rockwell Automation is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
AMETEK	8 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Rockwell Automation	22 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is AME or ROK more profitable?

AMETEK has a net margin of 20.60% compared to Rockwell Automation's net margin of 12.03%. Rockwell Automation's return on equity of 30.14% beat AMETEK's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AMETEK	20.60%	16.53%	10.98%
Rockwell Automation	12.03%	30.14%	9.83%

Is AME or ROK a better dividend stock?

AMETEK pays an annual dividend of $1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Rockwell Automation pays an annual dividend of $5.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. AMETEK pays out 20.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Rockwell Automation pays out 61.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. AMETEK has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years and Rockwell Automation has increased its dividend for 15 consecutive years. Rockwell Automation is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Do analysts recommend AME or ROK?

AMETEK presently has a consensus target price of $207.42, suggesting a potential upside of 11.75%. Rockwell Automation has a consensus target price of $343.84, suggesting a potential downside of 2.10%. Given AMETEK's higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe AMETEK is more favorable than Rockwell Automation.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AMETEK	0 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	8 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.57
Rockwell Automation	1 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	12 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.65

Which has more volatility and risk, AME or ROK?

AMETEK has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Rockwell Automation has a beta of 1.41, indicating that its stock price is 41% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has preferable valuation and earnings, AME or ROK?

AMETEK has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Rockwell Automation. AMETEK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Rockwell Automation, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AMETEK	$6.94B	6.18	$1.38B	$6.21	29.89
Rockwell Automation	$8.26B	4.78	$952.50M	$8.52	41.22

Summary

Rockwell Automation beats AMETEK on 13 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.