Rockwell Automation Raises Quarterly Dividend 5.1% to $1.45

Rockwell Automation increased its quarterly dividend 5.1% to $1.45 a share from $1.38. The next ex-dividend date is November 16, 2026, and payment is scheduled for December 10, 2026. The company said the increase followed its regular review of the dividend. Rockwell Automation dividend release

Why the dividend changed

Rockwell attributed the increase to continued strong operating performance and said it reinforced the company’s commitment to returning cash to shareowners. The declaration did not cite a merger, split, spin-off or other special situation as the reason for the change. Rockwell Automation dividend release

The latest reported quarter supports that explanation. Fiscal third-quarter sales increased 8% from a year earlier, while organic sales increased 10%. Higher sales volume, favorable product mix and the benefit of dissolving the Sensia joint venture helped lift margins. Chairman and Chief Executive Blake Moret also cited strength in semiconductor, data-center and warehouse automation, alongside improving automotive and life-sciences activity. Rockwell Automation third-quarter results

Cash generation strengthened with earnings. Third-quarter operating cash flow increased to $724 million from $527 million, while free cash flow rose to $654 million from $489 million. Rockwell also repurchased approximately 0.3 million shares for $145 million during the quarter, leaving approximately $1.2 billion under existing authorizations. Those figures show the dividend increase was part of a broader capital-return program rather than an isolated distribution decision. Rockwell Automation third-quarter results

Dividend track record

Rockwell has increased its dividend for 16 consecutive years. The last annual reduction occurred in 2002, placing the current streak well beyond the disruption that produced that earlier cut.

The recent payment record shows a consistent annual step-up. Four quarterly payments of $1.31 ran from November 18, 2024, through August 18, 2025. Four payments of $1.38 followed from November 17, 2025, through August 17, 2026. The new $1.45 rate continues that pattern rather than changing the quarterly schedule.

Full-year distributions have also advanced steadily. Annual payments totaled $4.13 in 2020, $4.33 in 2021, $4.54 in 2022, $4.79 in 2023, $5.06 in 2024 and $5.31 in 2025. The annual increases ranged from 4.8% to 5.6% over that period. The five-year record amounts to 5.1% annual growth, closely matching the latest 5.1% increase.

Is the dividend covered?

The dividend consumes 51% of earnings. That leaves nearly half of reported earnings outside the distribution, providing room for operations, capital spending, debt service, acquisitions and share repurchases.

SmarterDividends rates the dividend A, with a safety score of 90. The grade means the dividend is considered very safe, reflecting a score within the 80-100 range. The moderate earnings payout and the uninterrupted 16-year growth streak support that assessment, although future coverage will continue to depend on industrial demand, margins and cash conversion.

Yield and valuation

At a share price of $436.20, Rockwell’s forward yield is 1.27%. That is below the Industrials sector median forward yield of 1.62%, indicating that the shares provide less current dividend income than the sector midpoint despite the higher quarterly rate. The annual dividend measure is $5.52 a share, equal to $552.00 of annual income for every 100 shares.

SmarterDividends estimates fair value at $190.59 and classifies the shares as overvalued, with 56% downside to that estimate. The stock’s one-year price return is a 10.2% gain. Together, the figures explain why the yield remains below the sector median even after the dividend increase.

What to watch

Rockwell is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results before the market opens on November 5, 2026, when it will also introduce fiscal 2027 guidance. The report will update the August outlook, which called for reported and organic sales growth of 7.5% to 9.5% and adjusted earnings per share of $13.00 to $13.30. Rockwell Automation earnings announcement

Investors can also monitor cash conversion after the Sensia dissolution and the balance between dividends and repurchases. For the declared payment, the immediate calendar items are the November 16, 2026, ex-dividend date and the December 10, 2026, payment date.