Science fiction has been trying to scare us with the idea of a "robot invasion" for decades. But the reality is that it's already here - and it's extremely profitable.
Thanks to the pick we're bringing you today, it's nothing to be scared of, either.
No, these robots aren't here to replace us. They're here to do the repetitive, labor-intensive tasks that are taxing on human workers. That frees people up to use their dexterity, judgment, and creativity to maximize productivity.
So it shouldn't be surprising that this industrial automation firm has been routinely recognized as one of the top tech companies to work for. In fact, it's been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the world's most ethical companies for 11 consecutive years.
But we're not talking about a product of the Internet age. This is a dividend stock that's been in the automation game for more than 115 years. So it combines cutting-edge technology with a century of stability.
Now that industrial automation is taking off, this tried-and-true enterprise is due for a growth spurt.
Transparency Market Research projects the global industrial automation market will reach $352 billion by 2024, roughly 67% higher than its 2016 level.
Put simply, this is a sector you have to have in your portfolio over the next decade. And this dividend stock is the best pure play you're going to find.
Even better, it's just been given a top score by our Money Morning Stock VQScore™ system.
In fact, based on its earnings growth compared to its peers, this is a stock that's poised to skyrocket by more than 400%.
This Century-Old Company Is Now on the Cutting Edge of a $6.2 Trillion Technology
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Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) got its start back in 1903, when two brothers developed a motorized controller for industrial cranes. That invention would debut at the World's Fair in St. Louis the following year.
Now Rockwell is one of the global leaders in industrial automation, with about 23,000 employees serving in more than 80 countries.
The company handles the machinery, installation, and software integration to provide automation to industries as wide-ranging as oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and water management, among others.
Rockwell's solutions are used in a variety of consumer products too. If you use Scotch tape or Scott tissue, drink Coke or Pepsi, or eat Lay's chips, Kraft cheese, or Ragu sauce, you're buying products created with the help of Rockwell Automation.
It's not just other businesses that benefit from automation, though. Rockwell itself has been phasing in one of its own manufacturing execution systems into its production sites in the last few years. As a result, the sites using the system lowered inventory days by over 30% where implemented. Measures like these have enabled Rockwell to consistently improve overall productivity by 4% to 5% every year.
Rockwell is even a leader in the Internet of Things (IoT)...
Whenever we talk about automation in this day and age, we're also talking about incredibly profitable IoT. This technology allows machines, products, and components to be connected not just within a single production site, but across hundreds or thousands of production sites around the world.
So it's no surprise that Rockwell Automation is a leader in this space. Its Connected Enterprise solutions give machines intelligence as they interact with each other, allowing real-time adjustments that reduce manufacturing reject rates by up to 75% and increase production capacity by up to 65%.
Research firm McKinsey projects that by 2025, this kind of technology will have a global economic impact of $6.2 trillion. And Rockwell will be taking a big slice of that pie.
That makes ROK a great pick for the long term. But thanks to an oversight by the rest of the market, this pick is due for a huge jump in the short term, too.
Now Is the Time to Buy ROK
Shares of Rockwell Automation are trading around $175 right now. That's in the middle of its 52-week range, which runs from $141.46 to $198.23.
The market's indecision on this stock in that time has been a big mistake. ROK is coming off five straight earnings beats, including an 11% beat in the most recent quarter. And EPS for the 2018 fiscal year was up by 20% from the year before - significantly better than the flat stock price reflects.
For all Rockwell's potential for explosive growth in the coming years, it has plenty of pent-up value from years past that the market still hasn't recognized.
This is a company whose net operating cash flow has more than doubled since 2012 and that has raised its dividend for nine consecutive years. In fact, last year, ROK raised the dividend twice: 10% in the second quarter and then 5% on top of that in the fourth.
That brings its yield up to 2.27, nearly 60% better than the industry average.
On top of all that, its trailing price/earnings-to-growth ratio comes in at just 0.19 - a fairly valued stock should come in around 1.
That means ROK could grow 426% just to hit fair value.
And all of that is before you take into account the extremely favorable prospects for the company's future.
So if you're looking for a potential rocket stock that also brings more than a century of stability along with it, Rockwell Automation might be it.
Of course, if you want to learn how to bring in faster gains, week after week...
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About the Author
Stephen Mack has been writing about economics and finance since 2011. He contributed material for the best-selling books Aftershock and The Aftershock Investor. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.