Rockwell Automation, Inc. reported net income of $201.8 million, or $1.39 per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, with healthy sales and earnings forecasts.
The Milwaukee industrial automation company, said quarterly net income compared to the $131.3 million, or $0.91 per share, a year ago, an increase of 53% on a per-share basis.
Rockwell also reported fourth quarter sales of $1.65 billion, up 22% from the $1.35 billion reported in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010.
Fiscal 2011 fourth quarter sales were up 9% compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2011.
In Q4, strong quarterly sales growth was reported in architecture and software, up 19%, and control products and solutions, up 24%.
The company’s Q4 performance is part of a record year for sales and earnings per share from continuing operations. Sales topped the $6 billion mark, up 24% over the $4.86 billion reported in fiscal 2010.
“The fourth quarter capped a year of outstanding sales and earnings performance,” said Keith D. Nosbusch, Rockwell’s chairman and chief executive.
Despite an uncertain global economic picture and moderating growth rates, Nosbusch said the company is cautiously optimistic that market growth will continue in 2012. Rockwell’s 2012 sales outlook calls for sales of $6.2 to $6.5 billion, which would represent sales growth of 5 to 9%, and fiscal 2012 per-share earnings of between $5.05 and $5.45.
