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Rockwell Automation

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FY2020 Annual Report · Rockwell Automation
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2020  
Annual Report 
on Form 10-K

Rockwell Automation, Inc.
1201 South Second Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204, USA

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020

OR

   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the transition period from _______ to _______

Commission file number 1-12383

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of  
incorporation or organization)

1201 South Second Street  
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

(Address of principal executive offices)

25-1797617

(I.R.S. Employer  
Identification No.)

53204

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

+1 (414) 382-2000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock ($1.00 par value)

ROK

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes    No  
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes    No  

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 

1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such 
filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes    No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 

of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes    No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting 

company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging 
growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large Accelerated Filer

Non-accelerated Filer





Accelerated Filer

Smaller Reporting Company

Emerging Growth Company







If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with 

any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of 
its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting 
firm that prepared or issued its audit report. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes    No  
The aggregate market value of registrant’s voting stock held by non-affiliates of registrant on March 29, 2020 was approximately $17.4 billion.
116,178,728 shares of registrant’s Common Stock, par value $1 per share, were outstanding on October 31, 2020.

Certain information contained in the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareowners of registrant to be held on February 2, 2021, is 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I 

BUSINESS 

ITEM 1.  
ITEM 1A.   RISK FACTORS 
ITEM 1B.   UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 
ITEM 2.  
ITEM 3.  
ITEM 4.  
ITEM 4A.  

PROPERTIES 
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR  
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

PART II 

ITEM 5.  

ITEM 6.  
ITEM 7.  

MARKET FOR THE COMPANY’S COMMON 
EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER  
MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES  
OF EQUITY SECURITIES 
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND  
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION  
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

ITEM 7A.   QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE 

ITEM 8.  

DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND 
SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

34
34
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS 
35
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME  36
37
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 
38
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREOWNERS’ EQUITY 
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
39

3

3
6
11
11
12
12

12

13

13
14

15

32

ITEM 9.  

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS  
WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING  
AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 
ITEM 9A.   CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 
ITEM 9B.   OTHER INFORMATION 

PART III 

ITEM 10.   DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS  

AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

ITEM 11.  
ITEM 12.   SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN 

BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT 
AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

ITEM 13.   CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND  
RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND  
DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE 

ITEM 14.   PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES  

AND SERVICES 

PART IV 

ITEM 15.   EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL  

STATEMENT SCHEDULE 

ITEM 16.   FORM 10-K SUMMARY 

SIGNATURES 

79
79
79

80

80
80

80

81

81

82

82
85

86

2

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This  Annual  Report  contains  statements  (including  certain 
projections  and  business  trends)  that  are  “forward-looking 
statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform 
Act of 1995. Words such as “believe”, “estimate”, “project”, “plan”, 
“expect”, “anticipate”, “will”, “intend” and other similar expressions 
may identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ 
materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and 
uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including 
but not limited to:

zz the severity and duration of disruptions to our business due to 
pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, 
acts of war, strikes, terrorism, social unrest or other causes, 
including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to 
manage it on the global economy, liquidity and financial markets, 
demand for our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services, our supply chain, our work force, our liquidity and the 
value of the assets we own;

zz macroeconomic factors, including global and regional business 
conditions (including adverse impacts in certain markets, such 
as Oil & Gas), the availability and cost of capital, commodity 
prices, the cyclical nature of our customers’ capital spending, 
sovereign debt concerns and currency exchange rates; 

zz laws,  regulations  and  governmental  policies  affecting  our 
activities in the countries where we do business, including those 
related to tariffs, taxation, and trade controls; 

zz the availability and price of components and materials; 
zz the availability, effectiveness and security of our information 

technology systems; 

zz our ability to manage and mitigate the risk related to security 
vulnerabilities and breaches of our hardware and software 
products, solutions and services; 

zz the successful development of advanced technologies and 
demand  for  and  market  acceptance  of  new  and  existing 
hardware and software products; 

zz our ability to manage and mitigate the risks associated with our 

solutions and services businesses; 

zz the successful execution of our cost productivity initiatives; 
zz competitive hardware and software products, solutions and 
services and pricing pressures, and our ability to provide high 
quality products, solutions and services; 

zz our ability to attract, develop, and retain qualified personnel; 
zz disruptions to our distribution channels or the failure of distributors 

to develop and maintain capabilities to sell our products; 

zz the  successful  integration  and  management  of  strategic 
transactions and achievement of the expected benefits of these 
transactions; 

zz intellectual property infringement claims by others and the 

ability to protect our intellectual property; 

zz the uncertainty of claims by taxing authorities in the various 

jurisdictions where we do business; 

zz the uncertainties of litigation, including liabilities related to 
the safety and security of the hardware and software products, 
solutions and services we sell; 

zz risks  associated  with  our  investment  in  common  stock  of 
PTC Inc., including the potential for volatility in our reported 
quarterly earnings associated with changes in the market value 
of such stock; 

zz our ability to manage costs related to employee retirement and 

health care benefits; and

zz other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those 
detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange 
Commission (SEC) filings.

These forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs as of the 
date of filing this report. We undertake no obligation to update or 
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new 
information, future events or otherwise. See Item 1A. Risk Factors 
for more information.

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

GENERAL

Rockwell  Automation,  Inc.  (“Rockwell  Automation”  or  the 
“Company”) is a global leader in industrial automation and digital 
transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with 
the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, 
making the world more productive and more sustainable. Our 

hardware and software products, solutions and services are 
designed to meet our customers’ needs to reduce total cost of 
ownership, maximize asset utilization, improve time to market 
and reduce enterprise business risk.

3

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS

The Company continues the business founded as the Allen-Bradley 
Company in 1903. The privately-owned Allen-Bradley Company was 
a leading North American manufacturer of industrial automation 
equipment when the former Rockwell International Corporation 
(RIC) purchased it in 1985.

The  Company  was  incorporated  in  Delaware  in  connection 
with a tax-free reorganization completed on December 6, 1996, 
pursuant to which we divested our former aerospace and defense 
businesses (the A&D Business) to The Boeing Company (Boeing). In 
the reorganization, RIC contributed all of its businesses, other than 
the A&D Business, to the Company and distributed all capital stock 
of the Company to RIC’s shareowners. Boeing then acquired RIC.

As used herein, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Rockwell Automation” 
or the “Company” include wholly-owned and controlled majority-
owned subsidiaries and predecessors unless the context indicates 
otherwise. Information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K 
refers to our continuing businesses unless otherwise indicated.

OPERATING SEGMENTS

Whenever an Item of this Annual Report on Form 10-K refers 
to information in our Proxy Statement for our Annual Meeting 
of  Shareowners  to  be  held  on  February  2,  2021,  (the  Proxy 
Statement), or to information under specific captions in Item 7. 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and 
Results of Operations (MD&A), or in Item 8. Financial Statements 
and Supplementary Data (the Consolidated Financial Statements), 
the information is incorporated in that Item by reference. All date 
references to years and quarters refer to our fiscal year and 
quarters unless otherwise stated.

During fiscal 2020, we had two operating segments: Architecture & Software and Control Products & Solutions. Both operating segments 
share a common sales organization and supply chain and conduct business globally. Major markets served by both segments consist 
of discrete end markets (e.g., Automotive, Semiconductor, and Warehousing & Logistics), hybrid end markets (e.g., Food & Beverage, 
and Life Sciences), and process end markets (e.g., Oil & Gas, Metals, and Chemicals).

Starting in fiscal 2021, we have three operating segments: Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. The Intelligent 
Devices segment includes drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & 
Control segment includes control and visualization software and hardware, information software, and network and security infrastructure. 
The Lifecycle Services segment includes consulting, professional services and solutions, connected services, and maintenance services, 
as well as the Sensia joint venture.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

We do business in more than 100 countries around the world. The largest sales outside the United States on a country-of-destination 
basis are in China, Canada, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of risks 
associated with our global operations.

COMPETITION

Our competitors range from large diversified corporations that may also have business interests outside of industrial automation to smaller 
companies that offer a limited portfolio of industrial automation products, solutions and services. Factors that influence our competitive 
position include the breadth of our product portfolio and scope of solutions, technology differentiation, domain expertise, installed base, 
distribution network, quality of hardware and software products, solutions and services, global presence and price. Major competitors 
include Siemens AG, ABB Ltd, Schneider Electric SA, Emerson Electric Co., Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Honeywell International Inc.

DISTRIBUTION

In most countries, we sell primarily through independent distributors in conjunction with our direct sales force. In other countries, we 
sell through a combination of our direct sales force and to a lesser extent, through independent distributors. Approximately 80 percent 
of our global sales are through independent distributors. Sales to our largest distributor in 2020, 2019 and 2018 were approximately 10 
percent of our total sales.

EMPLOYEES

See Item 7. MD&A for information on our employees, including information related to attracting, developing, and retaining highly qualified 
talent.

4

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS

RAW MATERIALS

We purchase a wide range of equipment, components, finished products and materials used in our business. The raw materials essential 
to the manufacture of our products generally are available at competitive prices. We have a broad base of suppliers and subcontractors. 
We depend upon the ability of our suppliers and subcontractors to meet performance and quality specifications and delivery schedules. 
See Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of risks associated with our reliance on third party suppliers.

BACKLOG

Our total order backlog consists of (in millions):

Architecture & Software

Control Products & Solutions

September 30,

2020

283.2 $

1,273.9

1,557.1 $

2019

174.7

1,194.7

1,369.4

$

$

Backlog is not necessarily indicative of results of operations for future periods due to the short-cycle nature of most of our sales 
activities. Backlog orders scheduled beyond 2021 were approximately $296 million as of September 30, 2020.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

Information about the effect of compliance with environmental protection requirements and resolution of environmental claims is 
contained in Note 17 in the Consolidated Financial Statements. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of risks associated with 
liabilities and costs related to environmental remediation.

PATENTS, LICENSES AND TRADEMARKS

We own or license numerous patents and patent applications 
related to our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services. While in the aggregate our patents and licenses are 
important in the operation of our business, we do not believe that 
loss or termination of any one of them would materially affect our 
business or financial condition. We have received various claims of 
patent infringement and requests for patent indemnification. We 
believe that none of these claims or requests will have a material 
adverse effect on our financial condition. See Item 1A. Risk Factors 
for a discussion of risks associated with our intellectual property.

SEASONALITY

The Company’s name and its registered trademark “Rockwell 
Automation®” and other trademarks such as “Allen-Bradley®”, 
“A-B®”,  “PlantPAx®  Process  Automation  System™”,  and  “The 
Connected Enterprise®” are important to both of our business 
segments. In addition, we own other important trademarks that we 
use, such as “ControlLogix®” and “CompactLogix®” for our control 
systems, “PowerFlex®” for our AC drives, and “Rockwell Software®” 
and “FactoryTalk®” for our software offerings.

Our business segments are not subject to significant seasonality. However, the calendarization of our results can vary and may be 
affected by the seasonal spending patterns of our customers due to their annual budgeting processes and their working schedules.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We maintain a website at https://www.rockwellautomation.com. 
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, 
current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports 
filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), as well as our annual 
reports to shareowners and Section 16 reports on Forms 3, 4 and 5, 
are available free of charge on this site through the “Investors” link as 

soon as reasonably practicable after we file or furnish these reports 
with the SEC. All reports we file with the SEC are also available free 
of charge via EDGAR through the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.
gov. Our Guidelines on Corporate Governance and charters for our 
Board committees are also available on our website. The information 
contained on and linked from our website is not incorporated by 
reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

5

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1A.   RISK FACTORS

In the ordinary course of our business, we face various strategic, 
operating, compliance and financial risks. These risks could have 
an impact on our business, financial condition, operating results 
and cash flows. Our most significant risks are set forth below and 
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process seeks to identify 
and address significant risks. Our ERM process assesses, manages, 
and monitors risks consistent with the integrated risk framework 
in the Enterprise Risk Management - Integrated Framework (2017) 
issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 
Treadway Commission (COSO). We believe that risk-taking is 
an inherent aspect of the pursuit of our strategy. Our goal is to 
manage risks prudently rather than avoid risks. We can mitigate 
risks and their impact on the Company only to a limited extent.

A team of senior executives prioritizes identified risks and assigns an 
executive to address each major identified risk area and lead action 
plans to manage risks. Our Board of Directors provides oversight 
of the ERM process and reviews significant identified risks. The 
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors also reviews significant 
financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to 
monitor and manage them. Our other Board committees also play 
a role in risk management, as set forth in their respective charters.

Our goal is to proactively manage risks using a structured approach 
in conjunction with strategic planning, with the intent to preserve 
and enhance shareowner value. However, the risks set forth below 
and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other risks and 
uncertainties could adversely affect us and cause our results to vary 
materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results.

INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC RISKS

WE FACE THE POTENTIAL HARMS OF NATURAL 
DISASTERS, PANDEMICS, INCLUDING THE COVID-19 
PANDEMIC, ACTS OF WAR, TERRORISM, INTERNATIONAL 
CONFLICTS OR OTHER DISRUPTIONS TO OUR 
OPERATIONS, THE DURATION AND SEVERITY OF WHICH 
ARE HIGHLY UNCERTAIN AND DIFFICULT TO PREDICT.

Our business depends on the movement of people and goods around 
the world. Natural disasters, pandemics (including the COVID-19 
pandemic), acts or threats of war or terrorism, international conflicts, 
power outages, fires, explosions, equipment failures, sabotage, 
political instability and the actions taken by governments could 
cause damage to or disrupt our business operations, our suppliers 
or our customers, and could create economic instability. Disruptions 
to our IT infrastructure from system failures, shutdowns, power 
outages, telecommunication or utility failures, and other events, 
including disruptions at third party IT and other service providers, 
could also interfere with or disrupt our operations. Although it is not 
possible to predict such events or their consequences, these events 
could decrease demand for our hardware and software products, 
solutions or services, increase our costs, or make it difficult or 
impossible for us to deliver products, solutions or services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to 
the global economy, including in all of the regions in which we, 
our suppliers, distributors, business partners and customers 
do  business  and  in  which  our  workforce  is  located.  The 
COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to manage it, including those by 
governmental authorities, have had, and could continue to have, 
significant impacts on global markets. While the duration and 
severity of those impacts on our business are highly uncertain, 
they have had, and could continue to have, an adverse effect on 
our business, financial condition and results of operations in many 
ways, including, but not limited to, the following:

zz Our customers are, and continue to be, subject to significant 
risks and have had, and could continue to have, adverse impacts 
to their business operations and financial condition related 
to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could lead to a decrease in 

6

their liquidity and/or industrial spending. This has resulted in, 
and could continue to result in, a decrease in demand for our 
hardware and software products, solutions and services, as well 
as impact our customers’ ability to pay for such hardware and 
software products, solutions and services.

zz The COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it have significantly 
limited or prevented the movement of goods and services 
worldwide, which has resulted in and could continue to result 
in disruptions in our supply chain and our difficulty in procuring 
or inability to procure components and materials necessary for 
our hardware and software products, solutions and services. 
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it has 
increased and could continue to increase the costs of making 
and distributing our hardware and software products, solutions 
and services or result in delays in delivering, or an inability to 
deliver, them to our customers.

zz Our workforce may be unable or unwilling to work on-site or 
travel  as  a  result  of  event  cancellations,  facility  closures, 
shelter-in-place, travel and other restrictions and changes in 
industry practice, or if they, their co-workers or their family 
members become ill or otherwise require care arrangements. 
These workforce disruptions have adversely affected and could 
continue to adversely affect our ability to operate, including to 
develop, manufacture, generate sales of, promote, market and 
deliver our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services, and provide customer support.

zz Uncertainty over the duration and severity of the economic impact 
of the COVID-19 pandemic and effectiveness of efforts to manage 
it have caused significant volatility in the capital and other financial 
markets, which has adversely impacted, and could continue to 
adversely impact, global liquidity and asset values (including the 
price of our stock and the securities of other companies we own, 
such as the common stock we own in PTC Inc., and the fair value 
of our pension plans’ investments). This uncertainty and volatility 
could adversely affect our ability to, or the cost at which we may, 
access the capital and other financial markets, including the 
commercial paper market, or otherwise obtain debt or equity 

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

financing, which could adversely affect our financial condition or 
ability to satisfy our contractual obligations and fund our other 
business operations or future investment opportunities.

The  unprecedented  and  continuously  evolving  nature  of  the 
COVID-19 pandemic make the duration and severity of its impacts 
increasingly difficult to predict, which could limit our ability to 
respond to those impacts. Additionally, the impacts described 
above and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses 
to it could substantially increase the risk to us from the other risks 
described in this Item 1A, Risk Factors.

ADVERSE CHANGES IN BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY 
CONDITIONS AND VOLATILITY AND DISRUPTION OF 
THE CAPITAL AND CREDIT MARKETS MAY RESULT IN 
DECREASES IN OUR SALES AND PROFITABILITY.

We are subject to macroeconomic cycles and when recessions 
occur, we may experience reduced, canceled or delayed orders, 
payment delays or defaults, supply chain disruptions or other 
adverse events as a result of the economic challenges faced by 
our customers, prospective customers and suppliers.

Demand for our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services is sensitive to changes in levels of industrial production 
and the financial performance of major industries that we serve. 
As economic activity slows, credit markets tighten, or sovereign 
debt concerns arise, companies tend to reduce their levels of 
capital spending, which could result in decreased demand for our 
products, solutions and services.

Oil  &  Gas  is  a  major  industry  that  we  serve.  Demand  for  our 
hardware  and  software  products,  solutions  and  services  is 
sensitive to industry volatility and risks including those related 
to commodity prices, supply and demand dynamics, productions 
costs, geological, and political activities. When adverse Oil & 
Gas industry events arise, companies may reduce their levels 
of spending, which could result in decreased demand for our 
hardware and software products, solutions and services.

Our ability to access the credit markets and the costs of borrowing 
are affected by the strength of our credit rating and current market 
conditions. If our access to credit, including the commercial paper 
market, is adversely affected by a change in market conditions or 

BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL RISKS

WE SELL TO CUSTOMERS AROUND THE WORLD AND ARE 
SUBJECT TO THE RISKS OF DOING BUSINESS IN MANY 
COUNTRIES.

We do business in more than 100 countries around the world. 
Approximately 46 percent of our sales in 2020 were to customers 
outside  the  U.S.  In  addition,  our  manufacturing  operations, 
suppliers  and  employees  are  located  in  many  places  around 
the world. The future success of our business depends in large 
part  on  growth  in  our  sales  in  non-U.S.  markets.  Our  global 
operations are subject to numerous financial, legal and operating 
risks, such as political and economic instability; prevalence of 

otherwise, our cost of borrowings may increase or our ability to 
fund operations may be reduced.

The  London  Interbank  Offered  Rate  (LIBOR)  is  the  basis  for 
determining the amount of our interest payments on borrowings 
under our $1.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility. The 
U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has 
announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. If 
LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to amend certain agreements 
that  use  LIBOR  as  a  benchmark  and  we  cannot  predict  what 
alternative index or other amendments may be negotiated with 
our counterparties. As a result, our interest expense could increase 
and our available cash flow for general corporate requirements may 
be adversely affected. Additionally, uncertainty as to the nature of 
a potential discontinuance or modification of LIBOR, alternative 
reference rates or other reforms may materially and adversely 
affect the trading market for securities linked to such benchmarks. 
For additional information, see Financial Condition in MD&A.

OUR INDUSTRY IS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.

We face strong competition in all of our market segments in 
several significant respects. We compete based on breadth and 
scope of our hardware and software product portfolio and solution 
and service offerings, technology differentiation, the domain 
expertise of our employees and partners, product performance, 
quality of our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services, knowledge of integrated systems and applications that 
address our customers’ business challenges, pricing, delivery 
and customer service. The relative importance of these factors 
differs across the geographic markets and product areas that 
we serve and across our market segments. We seek to maintain 
acceptable pricing levels across and within geographic markets by 
continually developing advanced technologies for new hardware 
and software products and product enhancements and offering 
complete solutions for our customers’ business problems. In 
addition, we continue to drive productivity to reduce our cost 
structure. If we fail to achieve our objectives, to keep pace with 
technological changes, or to provide high quality hardware and 
software products, solutions and services, we may lose business 
or experience price erosion and correspondingly lower sales and 
margins. We expect the level of competition to remain high in the 
future, which could limit our ability to maintain or increase our 
market share or profitability.

corruption in certain countries; enforcement of contract and 
intellectual property rights; and compliance with existing and 
future laws, regulations and policies, including those related to 
exports, imports, tariffs, embargoes and other trade restrictions, 
investments,  taxation,  product  content  and  performance, 
employment and repatriation of earnings. In addition, we are 
affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, inflation 
rates and interest rates. The occurrence or consequences of 
these risks may make it more difficult to operate our business 
and may increase our costs, which could decrease our profitability 
and have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

7

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

WE RELY ON SUPPLIERS TO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT, 
COMPONENTS AND SERVICES.

throughout the supply chain, moving from one company to the 
next via authorized network connections.

Our business requires that we buy equipment, components and 
services including finished products, electronic components and 
commodities. Our reliance on suppliers involves certain risks, 
including:

zz poor quality or an insecure supply chain, which could adversely 
affect the reliability and reputation of our hardware and software 
products, solutions and services;

zz changes  in  the  cost  of  these  purchases  due  to  inflation, 
exchange rate fluctuations, taxes, tariffs, commodity market 
volatility or other factors that affect our suppliers;

zz embargoes, sanctions and other trade restrictions that may 

affect our ability to purchase from various suppliers;

zz intellectual property risks such as challenges to ownership of 

rights or alleged infringement by suppliers; and

zz shortages of components, commodities or other materials, 
which could adversely affect our manufacturing efficiencies 
and ability to make timely delivery of our products, solutions 
and services.

Any of these uncertainties could adversely affect our profitability 
and ability to compete. We also maintain several single-source 
supplier relationships because either alternative sources are not 
available or the relationship is advantageous due to performance, 
quality,  support,  delivery,  capacity,  or  price  considerations. 
Unavailability of, or delivery delays for, single-source components 
or products could adversely affect our ability to ship the related 
products in a timely manner. The effect of unavailability or delivery 
delays would be more severe if associated with our higher volume 
and more profitable products. Even where substitute sources 
of  supply  are  available,  qualifying  alternative  suppliers  and 
establishing reliable supplies could cost more or result in delays 
and a loss of sales.

FAILURES OR SECURITY BREACHES OF OUR PRODUCTS, 
CONNECTED SERVICES, MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT, 
SUPPLY CHAIN, OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS 
COULD HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS.

We rely heavily on information technology (IT) in our hardware 
and software products, solutions and services for customers, 
manufacturing environment, and in our enterprise infrastructure. 
Despite the implementation of security measures, our IT systems 
are vulnerable to unauthorized access by nation states, hackers, 
cyber-criminals, malicious insiders, and other actors who may 
engage in fraud, theft of confidential or proprietary information, 
or sabotage. Our systems could be compromised by malware 
(including ransomware), cyber attacks, and other events, ranging 
from widespread, non-targeted, global cyber threats to targeted 
advanced persistent threats. Given that our hardware and software 
products, solutions and services are used in critical infrastructure, 
these threats could indicate increased risk for our products, 
services, solutions, manufacturing, and IT infrastructure. Past 
global cyber attacks have also been perpetuated by compromising 
software updates in widely-used software products, increasing 
the risk that vulnerabilities or malicious content could be inserted 
into our products. In some cases, malware attacks were spread 

Our hardware and software products, solutions, and services are 
used by our direct and indirect customers in applications that may 
be subject to information theft, tampering, or sabotage. Careless or 
malicious actors could cause a customer’s process to be disrupted 
or could cause equipment to operate in an improper manner that 
could result in harm to people or property. While we continue to 
improve the security attributes of our hardware and software 
products, solutions and services, we can reduce risk, not eliminate 
it. To a significant extent, the security of our customers’ systems 
depends on how those systems are designed, installed, protected, 
configured, updated and monitored, and much of this is typically 
outside our control. In addition, the software supply chain introduces 
security vulnerabilities into many products across the industry.

Our business uses IT resources on a dispersed, global basis for 
a wide variety of functions including development, engineering, 
manufacturing, sales, accounting, and human resources. Our 
vendors, partners, employees and customers have access to, 
and  share,  information  across  multiple  locations  via  various 
digital technologies.  In addition, we rely on partners and vendors, 
including cloud providers, for a wide range of outsourced activities 
as  part  of  our  internal  IT  infrastructure  and  our  commercial 
offerings. Secure connectivity is important to these ongoing 
operations. Also, our partners and vendors frequently have access 
to our confidential information as well as confidential information 
about our customers, employees, and others. We design our 
security architecture to reduce the risk that a compromise of our 
partners’ infrastructure, for example a cloud platform, could lead 
to a compromise of our internal systems or customer networks, 
but this risk cannot be eliminated and vulnerabilities at third 
parties could result in unknown risk exposure to our business.

The current cyber threat environment indicates increased risk 
for all companies, including those in industrial automation and 
information. Like other global companies, we have experienced 
cyber threats and incidents, although none have been material 
or had a material adverse effect on our business or financial 
condition. Our information security efforts, under the leadership of 
our Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Product Security 
Officer, with the support of the entire management team, include 
major programs designed to address security governance and risk, 
product security, identification and protection of critical assets, 
insider risk, third-party risk, security awareness, and cyber defense 
operations.  We  believe  these  measures  reduce,  but  cannot 
eliminate, the risk of a cybersecurity incident. Any significant 
security incidents could have an adverse impact on sales, harm 
our reputation and cause us to incur legal liability and increased 
costs to address such events and related security concerns.

AN INABILITY TO RESPOND TO CHANGES IN CUSTOMER 
PREFERENCES COULD RESULT IN DECREASED DEMAND 
FOR OUR PRODUCTS.

Our success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and offer 
hardware and software products that appeal to the changing 
needs and preferences of our customers in the various markets 
we  serve.  Developing  new  hardware  and  software  products 
requires high levels of innovation, and the development process 

8

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTis often lengthy and costly. If we are not able to anticipate, identify, 
develop and market products that respond to changes in customer 
preferences and emerging technological and broader industry 
trends, demand for our products could decline.

THERE ARE INHERENT RISKS IN OUR SOLUTIONS AND 
SERVICES BUSINESSES.

Risks  inherent  in  the  sale  of  solutions  and  services  include 
assuming greater responsibility for successfully delivering projects 
that meet a particular customer specification, including defining 
and controlling contract scope, efficiently executing projects, and 
managing the performance and quality of our subcontractors and 
suppliers. If we are unable to manage and mitigate these risks, we 
could incur cost overruns, liabilities and other losses that would 
adversely affect our results of operations.

WE RELY ON OUR DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL FOR A 
SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR SALES.

In North America, a large percentage of our sales are through 
distributors. In certain other countries, the majority of our sales 
are also through a limited number of distributors. We depend 
on the capabilities and competencies of our distributors to sell 
our hardware and software products, solutions and services 
and deliver value to our customers. Disruptions to our existing 
distribution channel or the failure of distributors to maintain and 
develop the appropriate capabilities to sell our hardware and 
software products, solutions and services could adversely affect 
our sales. A disruption could result from the sale of a distributor to 
a competitor, financial instability of a distributor or other events.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT CLAIMS 
OF OTHERS AND THE INABILITY TO PROTECT OUR 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS COULD HARM OUR 
BUSINESS AND OUR CUSTOMERS.

Others may assert intellectual property infringement claims 
against us or our customers. We frequently provide a limited 
intellectual property indemnity in connection with our terms and 
conditions of sale to our customers and in other types of contracts 
with third parties. Indemnification payments and legal expenses 
to defend claims could be costly.

PART I
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

In addition, we own the rights to many patents, trademarks, brand 
names and trade names that are important to our business. The 
inability to enforce our intellectual property rights may have an 
adverse effect on our results of operations. Expenses related to 
enforcing our intellectual property rights could be significant.

OUR BUSINESS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON ATTRACTING, 
DEVELOPING, AND RETAINING HIGHLY QUALIFIED 
PERSONNEL.

Our  success  depends  in  part  on  the  efforts  and  abilities  of 
our management team and key employees, and the effective 
implementation of processes and technology to increase employee 
engagement, productivity, and efficiency. The skills, experience 
and industry knowledge of our employees significantly benefit our 
operations and performance. Difficulty attracting, developing, and 
retaining members of our management team and key employees 
with the necessary expertise, including by offering attractive 
compensation, benefits, and development opportunities, could 
have a negative effect on our business, operating results and 
financial condition. We continuously evaluate, modify, and enhance 
our internal processes and technologies to increase employee 
engagement, productivity, and efficiency, and to mitigate failure 
risks from older technologies currently in use. Failure to identify 
and successfully implement new processes and technologies 
could add costs and complications to ongoing operations and 
negatively  impact  employee  engagement,  productivity,  and 
efficiency.

INCREASING EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS COULD HAVE 
A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON OUR OPERATING RESULTS AND 
FINANCIAL CONDITION.

One  important  aspect  of  attracting  and  retaining  qualified 
personnel is continuing to offer competitive employee retirement 
and health care benefits. The expenses we record for our pension 
and other postretirement benefit plans depend on factors such as 
changes in market interest rates, the value of plan assets, mortality 
assumptions and healthcare trend rates. Significant unfavorable 
changes in these factors would increase our expenses. Expenses 
related to employer-funded healthcare benefits depend on laws 
and regulations, which could change, as well as healthcare cost 
inflation. An inability to control costs related to employee and 
retiree benefits could negatively impact our operating results 
and financial condition.

STRATEGIC TRANSACTIONS AND INVESTMENTS RISKS

FAILURE TO IDENTIFY, MANAGE, COMPLETE, AND 
INTEGRATE STRATEGIC TRANSACTIONS MAY ADVERSELY 
AFFECT OUR BUSINESS OR WE MAY NOT ACHIEVE THE 
EXPECTED BENEFITS OF THESE TRANSACTIONS.

As part of our strategy, we may pursue strategic transactions, 
including acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, other business 
opportunities and purchases of technology from third parties. In 
order to be successful, we must identify attractive transaction 
opportunities, effectively complete the transaction, and manage 

post-closing matters, such as integration of the acquired business 
or technology (including related personnel) and cooperation with 
our joint venture and other strategic partners. We may not be 
able to identify or complete beneficial transaction opportunities 
given the intense competition for them. Even if we successfully 
identify and complete such transactions, we may not achieve the 
expected benefits of such transactions and we may not be able 
to successfully address risks and uncertainties inherent in such 
transactions, including:

9

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

zz difficulties in integrating the purchased or new operations, 
technologies, products or services, retaining customers and 
achieving the expected benefits of the transaction, such as 
sales  increases,  access  to  technologies,  cost  savings  and 
increases in geographic or product presence, in the desired 
time frames; 

zz loss of key employees or difficulties integrating personnel; 
zz legal and compliance issues; 
zz difficulties implementing and maintaining consistent standards, 
financial systems, internal and other controls, procedures, 
policies and information systems;

zz difficulties maintaining relationships with our joint venture 
and other strategic partners (including as a result of such joint 
venture and other strategic partners having differing business 
objectives) and managing disputes with such joint venture and 
other strategic partners that may arise in connection with our 
relationships with them; and 

zz diversion  of  management’s  attention  from  other  business 

concerns.

Future strategic transactions and technology investments could 
result in debt, dilution, liabilities, increased interest expense, 
restructuring charges, and impairment and amortization expenses 
related to intangible assets.

WE OWN COMMON STOCK IN PTC INC. AND ARE EXPOSED 
TO THE VOLATILITY, LIQUIDITY AND OTHER RISKS 
INHERENT IN HOLDING THAT STOCK.

We  own  common  stock  of  PTC  Inc.  (PTC),  a  Nasdaq-listed 
company, that we acquired for an aggregate purchase price of 

approximately $1.0 billion. We present this investment on our 
Consolidated Balance Sheet at its fair value at the end of each 
reporting period. The fair value of our shares of PTC common 
stock (PTC Shares) is subject to fluctuation in the future due to 
the volatility of the stock market, changes in general economic 
conditions, and the performance of PTC. We recognize all changes 
in the fair value of the PTC Shares (whether realized or unrealized) 
as gains or losses in our Consolidated Statement of Operations. 
Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the PTC Shares can 
materially  impact  the  earnings  we  report,  which  introduces 
volatility in our earnings that is not associated with the results of 
our business operations. In particular, significant declines in the 
fair value of the PTC Shares would produce significant declines 
in our reported earnings.

While there is an established trading market for shares of PTC 
common stock, there are limitations on our ability to dispose 
of some or all of the PTC Shares should we wish to reduce our 
investment. Until July 19, 2021, we are subject to contractual 
restrictions on our ability to transfer the PTC Shares, subject 
to  certain  exceptions.  In  addition,  we  are  subject  to  certain 
restrictions on our ability to transfer the PTC Shares under the 
securities laws. Further, the reported value of the PTC Shares 
does not necessarily reflect their lowest current market price. 
If we were forced to sell some or all of the PTC Shares in the 
market, there can be no assurance that we would be able to sell 
them at prices equivalent to the value of the PTC Shares that we 
have reported on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, and we may be 
forced to sell them at significantly lower prices.

Finally, our equity position in PTC is a minority position which 
exposes us to further risk as we are not able to exert control 
over PTC.

LEGAL, TAX AND REGULATORY RISKS

NEW LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY ACTIONS COULD 
ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.

Legislative and regulatory action, including those related to 
corporate income taxes, may be taken in the various countries 
and other jurisdictions where we operate that may affect our 
business activities in those countries and other jurisdictions or 
may otherwise increase our costs to do business. For example, we 
are increasingly required to comply with various environmental 
and other material, product, certification and labeling laws and 
regulations.  Our  customers  may  also  be  required  to  comply 
with  such  legislative  and  regulatory  requirements.  These 
requirements could increase our costs and could potentially 
have an adverse effect on our ability to do business in certain 
jurisdictions.  Changes  in  these  requirements  could  impact 
demand  for  our  hardware  and  software  products,  solutions 
and  services.  Compliance  with  state,  federal  and  foreign 
privacy regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data 
Protection Regulation (GDPR), could increase our operating costs 
as part of our efforts to protect and safeguard our sensitive data 
and personal information. Failure to maintain information privacy 
could result in legal liability or reputational harm.

CLAIMS FROM TAXING AUTHORITIES COULD HAVE AN 
ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR INCOME TAX EXPENSE AND 
FINANCIAL CONDITION.

We conduct business in many countries, which requires us to 
interpret and comply with the income tax laws and rulings in each of 
those taxing jurisdictions. Due to the ambiguity of tax laws among 
those jurisdictions as well as the uncertainty of how underlying 
facts may be construed, our estimates of income tax liabilities may 
differ from actual payments or assessments. We must successfully 
defend any claims from taxing authorities to avoid an adverse 
effect on our operating results and financial condition.

POTENTIAL LIABILITIES AND COSTS FROM LITIGATION 
(INCLUDING ASBESTOS CLAIMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL 
REMEDIATION) COULD REDUCE OUR PROFITABILITY.

Various lawsuits, claims and proceedings have been or may be 
asserted against us relating to the conduct of our business, 
including  those  pertaining  to  the  safety  and  security  of  the 
hardware and software products, solutions and services we sell, 
employment, contract matters, and environmental remediation.

10

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We have been named as a defendant in lawsuits alleging personal 
injury as a result of exposure to asbestos that was used in certain 
of our products many years ago. Our products may also be used in 
hazardous industrial activities, which could result in product liability 
claims. The uncertainties of litigation (including asbestos claims) 
and the uncertainties related to the collection of insurance proceeds 
make it difficult to predict the ultimate resolution of these lawsuits.

Our operations are subject to various environmental regulations 
concerning human health, the limitation and control of emissions and 
discharges into the air, ground, and water, the quality of air and bodies 
of water, and the handling, use and disposal of specified substances. 
Our financial responsibility to clean up contaminated property or for 
natural resource damages may extend to previously owned or used 
properties, waterways and properties owned by unrelated companies 

or individuals, as well as properties that we currently own and use, 
regardless of whether the contamination is attributable to prior 
owners. We have been named as a potentially responsible party 
at cleanup sites and may be so named in the future, and the costs 
associated with these current and future sites may be significant.

We have, from time to time, divested certain of our businesses. 
In connection with these divestitures, certain lawsuits, claims 
and proceedings may be instituted or asserted against us related 
to the period that we owned the businesses, either because we 
agreed to retain certain liabilities related to these periods or 
because such liabilities fall upon us by operation of law. In some 
instances, the divested business has assumed the liabilities; 
however, it is possible that we might be responsible for satisfying 
those liabilities if the divested business is unable to do so.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES
We  operate  manufacturing  facilities  in  the  United  States 
and multiple other countries. Manufacturing space occupied 
approximately 2.8 million square feet, of which 38 percent was in 
North America. Our global headquarters are located in Milwaukee, 

Wisconsin in a facility that we own. We lease the remaining facilities 
noted below. Most of our facilities are shared by operations in 
both segments and may be used for multiple purposes such as 
administrative, manufacturing, warehousing and / or distribution.

The following table sets forth information regarding our headquarter locations as of September 30, 2020:

Location

Segment/Region

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Mayfield Heights, Ohio, United States

Global and North America Headquarters and Control Products & Solutions

Architecture & Software

Capelle, Netherlands / Diegem, Belgium

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Hong Kong

Weston, Florida, United States

Asia Pacific

Latin America

The following table sets forth information regarding the manufacturing square footage of our principal locations as of September 30, 2020:

Location

Monterrey, Mexico

Katowice, Poland

Mequon, Wisconsin, United States

Tecate, Mexico

Twinsburg, Ohio, United States

Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States

Cambridge, Canada

Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States

Aarau, Switzerland

Harbin, China

Shanghai, China

Jundiai, Brazil

Singapore

Manufacturing Square Footage

607,000

238,000

230,000

225,000

200,000

189,000

165,000

150,000

140,000

138,000

106,000

95,000

74,000

There are no major encumbrances (other than financing arrangements, which in the aggregate are not significant) on any of our plants 
or equipment. In our opinion, our properties have been well maintained, are in sound operating condition and contain all equipment 
and facilities necessary to operate at present levels. The square footage of a given manufacturing facility is not indicative of the sales 
contribution of the products manufactured there.

11

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART I
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The information required by this Item is contained in Note 17 in the Consolidated Financial Statements within the section entitled Other Matters.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

ITEM 4A.  INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The name, age, office and position held with the Company and principal occupations and employment during the past five years of each 
of the executive officers of the Company as of November 5, 2020 are:

Name, Office and Position, and Principal Occupations and Employment

Blake D. Moret

Chairman of the Board since January 1, 2018, and President and Chief Executive Officer since July 1, 2016; 
previously Senior Vice President

Sujeet Chand

Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

Thomas Donato

Senior Vice President since January 1, 2019; previously President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (from 
2015-2018) and Vice President, Canada

Steven W. Etzel

Vice President, Finance since October 1, 2020; previously Vice President and Treasurer

Elik I. Fooks

John A. Genovesi

Patrick P. Goris

Rebecca W. House

Senior Vice President since March 16, 2017; previously Vice President and General Manager, Sensing, 
Safety, and Connectivity Business

Senior Vice President since January 1, 2019; previously Vice President and General Manager, Information 
Software Business

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since February 7, 2017; previously Vice President, 
Finance, Architecture and Software, and Investor Relations

Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative (since July 2020) and Legal Officer and Secretary since 
January 3, 2017; previously Assistant General Counsel, Operations and Compliance, and Assistant 
Secretary at Harley-Davidson, Inc. (motorcycle manufacturer)

Frank C. Kulaszewicz

Senior Vice President

John M. Miller

Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel

Robert B. Murphy

Senior Vice President, Change Management since November 4, 2020; previously Senior Vice President, 
Connected Enterprise Consulting (from July 2018 to November 2020), Senior Vice President Operations 
and Engineering Services (from May 2016 to July 2018) and Vice President, Manufacturing Operations

Christopher Nardecchia Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer since November 1, 2017; previously Vice President and 

Chief Information Officer, Global Operations and Supply Chain, Amgen, Inc. (biopharmaceutical company)

Ernest Nicolas, Jr.

Terry L. Riesterer

Isaac Woods

Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer since November 4, 2020; previously Senior Vice 
President, Operations and Engineering Services (from November 2019 to November 2020), Vice President, 
Global Supply Chain (from July 2018 to November 2019), and Vice President, Strategic Sourcing and Supply 
Management

Vice President and Controller since November 29, 2019; previously Vice President, Corporate Financial 
Planning and Analysis and Corporate Development (from August 2016 - November 2019) and Vice President, 
Global Finance Operations

Vice President and Treasurer since October 1, 2020; previously Director, Finance, Power Control Business 
(from March 2019 - October 2020), Director, Capital Markets (from January 2017 to March 2019), and 
Manager, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations

Francis S. Wlodarczyk

Senior Vice President since July 2, 2018; previously Vice President, Control and Visualization Business

Age

57

62

48

60

69

57

49

47

56

53

61

58

43

52

35

55

There are no family relationships, as defined by applicable SEC rules, between any of the above executive officers and any other executive 
officer or director of the Company. No officer of the Company was selected pursuant to any arrangement or understanding between 
the officer and any person other than the Company. All executive officers are elected annually.

12

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR THE COMPANY’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED 

STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF 
EQUITY SECURITIES

MARKET INFORMATION

Our common stock, $1 par value, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol “ROK”, On October 31, 2020, 
there were 14,633 shareowners of record of our common stock.

COMPANY PURCHASES

There were no purchases made by or on behalf of us of shares of 
our common stock during the three months ended September 30, 
2020. On July 24, 2019, the Board of Directors authorized us to 
expend $1.0 billion to repurchase shares of our common stock. 
Our  repurchase  program  allows  us  to  repurchase  shares  at 

management’s discretion or at our broker’s discretion pursuant to 
a share repurchase plan subject to price and volume parameters. 
The maximum dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased 
under the program is $853,688,376.

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following information is not deemed to be “soliciting material” 
or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C 
under the Exchange Act or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the 
Exchange Act, and will not be deemed to be incorporated by 
reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act 
of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the 
Company specifically incorporates it by reference into such a filing.

The following line graph compares the cumulative total shareowner 
return on our Common Stock against the cumulative total return of 
the S&P Composite-500 Stock Index (S&P 500 Index) and the S&P 
Electrical Components & Equipment Index for the period of five 
fiscal years from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2020, assuming 
in each case a fixed investment of $100 at the respective closing 
prices on September 30, 2015 and reinvestment of all dividends.

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return
Rockwell Automation, S&P 500 Index & S&P Electrical Components & Equipment

$
250

200

150

100

50

0

$242.46

$193.80

$193.26

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Fiscal Year Ended September 30

■

Rockwell Automation

S&P 500 Index

S&P Electrical
Components & Equipment

The cumulative total returns on Rockwell Automation Common Stock and each index as of each September 30, 2015 through 2020 
plotted in the above graph are as follows:

Rockwell Automation*

S&P 500 Index

S&P Electrical Components & Equipment

Cash dividends per common share

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

$

100.00 $

123.79 $

183.88 $

197.18 $

177.41 $

242.46

100.00

100.00

2.60

115.43

123.69

2.90

136.91

148.59

3.04

161.43

172.13

3.51

168.30

166.36

3.88

193.80

193.26

4.08

* Includes the reinvestment of all dividends in our Common Stock.

13

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial data of our continuing operations. The data should be read in conjunction 
with MD&A and the Consolidated Financial Statements. The selected financial data below has been derived from our audited consolidated 
financial statements.

(in millions, except per share data)

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

Year Ended September 30,

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

Sales

Interest expense

Net income attributable to Rockwell Automation, Inc.(1)

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

Cash dividends per share

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

(at end of period)

$

6,329.8 $

6,694.8 $

6,666.0 $

6,311.3 $

5,879.5

103.5

1,023.4

8.83

8.77

4.08

98.2

695.8

5.88

5.83

3.88

73.0

535.5

4.27

4.21

3.51

76.2

825.7

6.42

6.35

3.04

71.3

729.7

5.60

5.56

2.90

Total assets

$

7,264.7 $

6,113.0 $

6,262.0 $

7,161.7 $

7,101.2

Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt

Long-term debt

Total shareowners’ equity

Other Data: 

Capital expenditures

Depreciation

Intangible asset amortization

24.6

1,974.7

1,346.8

300.5

1,956.4

404.2

551.0

1,225.2

1,617.5

600.4

1,243.4

2,663.6

$

113.9 $

132.8 $

125.5 $

141.7 $

122.5

50.2

126.2

26.0

136.4

28.2

138.7

30.2

448.6

1,516.3

1,990.1

116.9

143.3

28.9

(1)  During  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2017,  we  sold  a  product  distribution  business  within  our  Control  Products  &  Solutions  segment.  This  business  held  no 
intellectual property and included products sold outside of our core channel and under different brands. We sold this business for approximately $94 million 
and recorded a pre-tax gain of $60.8 million, which is included within Other (expense) income in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. During fiscal 2018, 
we recorded charges of $538.3 million associated with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”). We recorded a gain of $90 million, a 
loss of $368.5 million, and a gain of $153.9 million due to the change in fair value of our investment in PTC during fiscal 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. Refer 
to Note 10 in the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding our investment in PTC.

14

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL 

CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

NON-GAAP MEASURES

LONG-TERM STRATEGY

The following discussion includes organic sales, total segment 
operating  earnings  and  margin,  Adjusted  Income,  Adjusted 
EPS, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate and free cash flow, which are 
non-GAAP measures. See Supplemental Sales Information for a 
reconciliation of reported sales to organic sales and a discussion 
of why we believe this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors. 
See Results of Operations for a reconciliation of income before 
income taxes to total segment operating earnings and margin and 
a discussion of why we believe these non-GAAP measures are 
useful to investors. See Results of Operations for a reconciliation 
of  income  from  continuing  operations,  diluted  EPS  from 
continuing operations and effective tax rate to Adjusted Income, 
Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate, respectively, and a 
discussion of why we believe these non-GAAP measures are useful 
to investors. See Financial Condition for a reconciliation of cash 
flows from operating activities to free cash flow and a discussion 
of why we believe this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors.

OVERVIEW

Rockwell Automation, Inc. is a global leader in industrial automation 
and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people 
with  the  potential  of  technology  to  expand  what  is  humanly 
possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. 
Overall demand for our hardware and software products, solutions 
and services is driven by:

zz investments  in  manufacturing,  including  upgrades, 
modifications and expansions of existing facilities or production 
lines and new facilities or production lines;

zz investments in basic materials production capacity, which may 

be related to commodity pricing levels;

zz our customers’ needs for faster time to market, operational 
productivity, asset management and reliability, and enterprise 
risk management;

zz our customers’ needs to continuously improve quality, safety 

and sustainability;

zz industry  factors  that  include  our  customers’  new  product 
introductions, demand for our customers’ products or services 
and the regulatory and competitive environments in which our 
customers operate;

zz levels of global industrial production and capacity utilization;
zz regional factors that include local political, social, regulatory 

and economic circumstances; and

zz the spending patterns of our customers due to their annual 

budgeting processes and their working schedules.

Our  strategy  is  to  bring  The  Connected  Enterprise  to  life  by 
integrating control and information across the enterprise. We 
deliver customer outcomes by combining advanced industrial 
automation with the latest information technology. Our growth 
and performance strategy seeks to:

zz achieve  organic  sales  growth  in  excess  of  the  automation 
market by expanding our served market and strengthening our 
competitive differentiation;

zz grow market share of our core platforms;
zz drive double digit growth in information solutions and connected 

services; 

zz acquire companies that serve as catalysts to organic growth by 
increasing our information solutions and high-value services 
offerings and capabilities, expanding our global presence, or 
enhancing our process expertise;

zz enhance our market access by building our channel capability 

and partner network;

zz deploy  human  and  financial  resources  to  strengthen  our 
technology leadership and our intellectual capital business model;

zz continuously improve quality and customer experience; and
zz drive annual cost productivity.
By implementing the above strategy, we seek to achieve our 
long-term financial goals, including above-market organic sales 
growth,  EPS  growth  above  sales  growth,  return  on  invested 
capital in excess of 20 percent and free cash flow equal to about 
100 percent of Adjusted Income. We expect acquisitions to add 
a percentage point or more per year to long-term sales growth.

Our customers face the challenge of remaining globally cost 
competitive  and  automation  can  help  them  achieve  their 
productivity and sustainability objectives. Our value proposition 
is to help our customers reduce time to market, lower total cost of 
ownership, improve asset utilization and manage enterprise risks.

DIFFERENTIATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION 
AND DOMAIN EXPERTISE

Our integrated control and information architecture, with Logix at 
its core, is an important differentiator. We are the only automation 
provider that can support discrete, process, batch, safety, motion 
and power control on the same hardware platform with the same 
software programming environment. Our integrated architecture 
is scalable with standard open communications protocols making 
it easier for customers to implement it more cost effectively. Our 
information software portfolio, combined with the software made 
available as a result of our strategic alliance with PTC, is the most 

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comprehensive and flexible information platform in the industry.  
Through the combination of this technology and our domain 
expertise we help customers to achieve additional productivity 
benefits, such as reduced unplanned downtime, improved energy 
efficiency, higher quality and increased throughput yield.

Intelligent motor control is one of our core competencies and 
an important aspect of an automation system. These hardware 
and software products and solutions enhance the availability, 
efficiency and safe operation of our customers’ critical and most 
energy-intensive  plant  assets.  Our  intelligent  motor  control 
offering can be integrated seamlessly with the Logix architecture.

Domain expertise refers to the industry and application knowledge 
required to deliver solutions and services that support customers 
through the entire life cycle of their automation investment. The 
combination of industry-specific domain expertise of our people 
with our innovative technologies enables us to help our customers 
solve their manufacturing and business challenges.

GLOBAL EXPANSION

As the manufacturing world continues to expand, we must be able 
to meet our customers’ needs around the world. Approximately 
65 percent of our employees and 46 percent of our sales are outside 
the U.S. We continue to expand our footprint in emerging markets.

As we expand in markets with considerable growth potential 
and shift our global footprint, we expect to continue to broaden 
the portfolio of hardware and software products, solutions and 
services that we provide to our customers in these regions. We 
have made significant investments to globalize our manufacturing, 
product development and customer-facing resources in order to 
be closer to our customers throughout the world. The emerging 
markets of Asia Pacific, including China and India, Latin America, 

Central  and  Eastern  Europe  and  Africa  are  projected  to  be 
the  fastest  growing  over  the  long  term,  due  to  higher  levels 
of  infrastructure  investment  and  the  growing  middle-class 
population. We believe that increased demand for consumer 
products in these markets will lead to manufacturing investment 
and provide us with additional growth opportunities in the future.

ENHANCED MARKET ACCESS

Over  the  past  decade,  our  investments  in  technology  and 
globalization have enabled us to expand our addressed market 
to over $90 billion. Our process initiative has been the most 
important contributor to this expansion and remains our largest 
growth opportunity.

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) represent another 
area of addressed market expansion and an important growth 
opportunity. To remain competitive, OEMs need to find the optimal 
balance of machine cost and performance while reducing their 
time to market. Our scalable integrated architecture and intelligent 
motor control offerings, along with design productivity tools and 
our motion and safety products, can assist OEMs in addressing 
these business needs.

We have developed a powerful network of channel partners, 
technology  partners  and  commercial  partners  that  act  as 
amplifiers to our internal capabilities and enable us to serve our 
customers’ needs around the world.

BROAD RANGE OF INDUSTRIES SERVED

We apply our knowledge of manufacturing applications to help 
customers solve their business challenges. We serve customers 
in a wide range of industries, which we group into three broad 
categories: discrete, hybrid, and process.

Discrete

Automotive

Semiconductor

General Industries

Warehousing & Logistics

Printing & Publishing

Marine

Glass

Fiber/Textiles

Airports

Aerospace

Other Discrete

Hybrid

Food & Beverage

Life Sciences

Household & Personal Care

Tire

Eco Industrial

Water / Wastewater

Mass Transit

Renewable Energy

Process

Oil & Gas

Mining, Aggregates & Cement

Metals

Chemicals

Pulp & Paper

Traditional Power

Other Process

OUTSOURCING AND SUSTAINABILITY TRENDS

Demand for our hardware and software products, solutions and 
services across all industries benefits from the outsourcing and 
sustainability needs of our customers. Customers increasingly 
desire  to  outsource  engineering  services  to  achieve  a  more 
flexible cost base. Our manufacturing application knowledge 
enables us to serve these customers globally.

We help our customers meet their sustainability needs pertaining 
to energy efficiency, environmental and safety goals. Customers 
across  all  industries  are  investing  in  more  energy-efficient 
manufacturing processes and technologies, such as intelligent 
motor  control,  and  energy-efficient  solutions  and  services. 
In  addition,  environmental  and  safety  objectives  often  spur 
customers  to  invest  to  ensure  compliance  and  implement 
sustainable business practices.

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ACQUISITIONS AND INVESTMENTS

Our acquisition and investment strategy focuses on hardware and 
software products, solutions and services that will be catalytic to 
the organic growth of our core offerings.

In April 2020, we acquired ASEM, S.p.A. (ASEM), a leading provider 
of digital automation technologies. ASEM’s products will allow us 
to provide customers with a high degree of configurability for their 
industrial computing needs, allow them to achieve faster time to 
market, lower their cost of ownership, improve asset utilization, 
and better manage enterprise risk.

In  April  2020,  we  also  acquired  Kalypso,  LP  (Kalypso),  a 
privately-held US-based software delivery and consulting firm 
specializing in the digital transformation of industrial companies 
with a strong client base in life sciences, consumer products 
and industrial high-tech. This acquisition enhances our ability to 
implement and deploy technology and deliver even greater value 
to our customers.

In January 2020, we acquired Avnet Data Security, LTD (Avnet), an 
Israel-based cybersecurity provider with over 20 years of experience 
providing cybersecurity services. Avnet’s combination of service 
delivery, training, research, and managed services will enable 
us to service a much larger set of customers globally while also 
continuing to accelerate our portfolio development in this market.

On October 1, 2019, we completed the formation of a joint venture, 
Sensia, a fully integrated digital oilfield automation solutions 
provider. The joint venture leverages Schlumberger’s oil and gas 
domain knowledge and our automation and information expertise. 
Rockwell Automation owns 53% of Sensia and Schlumberger owns 
47% of Sensia.

In October 2019, we also acquired MESTECH Services (MESTECH), a 
global provider of Manufacturing Execution Systems/Manufacturing 
Operations Management, digital solutions consulting, and systems 
integration services. The acquisition of MESTECH expands our 
capabilities to profitably grow information solutions and connected 
services globally and accelerate our ability to help our customers 
execute digital transformation initiatives.

In January 2019, we acquired Emulate3D, an innovative engineering 
software developer whose products digitally simulate and emulate 
industrial  automation  systems.  This  acquisition  enables  our 
customers to virtually test machine and system designs before 
incurring manufacturing and automation costs and committing 
to a final design.

In 2018, we made several investments, including in shares of PTC 
common stock (the “PTC Shares”). PTC is the leader in the Industrial 
Internet of Things and augmented reality. Our investment in and 
alliance with PTC is accelerating growth for both companies and 
enabling us to be the partner of choice for customers around 
the world who want to transform their physical operations with 
digital technology in order to achieve increased productivity, 
heightened plant efficiency, reduced operational risk and better 
system interoperability.

We believe these acquisitions and investments will help us expand 
our served market and deliver value to our customers.

ATTRACTING, DEVELOPING, AND RETAINING HIGHLY 
QUALIFIED TALENT

Successful execution of our strategy is dependent on attracting, 
developing and retaining key employees and members of our 
management team. The skills, experience and industry knowledge 
of  our  employees  significantly  benefit  our  operations  and 
performance. We continuously evaluate, modify, and enhance 
our internal processes and technologies to increase employee 
engagement, productivity, and efficiency.

At September 30, 2020, our employees, including those employed 
by consolidated subsidiaries, by region were approximately:

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Total employees

9,500

5,000

5,000

4,000

23,500

At  September  30,  2020,  we  had  the  following  global  gender 
demographics:

All employees

Engineers

Manufacturing Associates

Individual Contributors

People Managers

September 30, 2020

Women

31%

14%

48%

37%

25%

Men

69%

86%

52%

63%

75%

At September 30, 2020, our U.S. employees had the following race and ethnicity demographics:

September 30, 2020

All U.S. 
Employees

Engineers

Manufacturing 
Associates

Individual 
Contributors

People 
Managers

Black / African American

Asian

Hispanic / Latinx

White

Multiracial, Native American and Pacific Islander

7%

9%

5%

77%

2%

4%

12%

5%

78%

1%

17%

14%

3%

64%

2%

7%

6%

6%

80%

1%

5%

8%

5%

81%

1%

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There are several ways in which we attract, develop, and retain 
highly qualified talent, including:

zz The safety and health of our employees is a top priority. We 
strive for zero workplace injuries and illnesses and operate in 
a manner that recognizes safety as fundamental to Rockwell 
Automation being a great place to work. In 2020, we achieved 
0.23 recordable cases per 100 employees. 

zz Fundamental  to  our  core  values  are  people  and  a  culture 
of  integrity.  Employee  training  is  used  to  reinforce  these 
values across all employees globally. Annual participation in 
trainings related to ethics, environment, health and safety, and 
emergency responses are at or near 100%.

zz One way we capture employee feedback is through our biannual 
Employee  Engagement  Survey  which  measures  several 
engagement  indicators  and  provides  an  overall  Employee 
Engagement  Index  (EEI).  The  latest  survey,  conducted  in 
February 2020, showed an EEI of 76% compared to a global 
norm of 72% for this index.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Productivity  and  continuous  improvement  are  important 
components of our culture. We have programs in place that drive 
ongoing process improvement, functional streamlining, material 
cost savings and manufacturing productivity. These are intended 
to improve profitability that can be used to fund investments in 
growth and to offset inflation. Our ongoing productivity initiatives 
target both cost reduction and improved asset utilization. Charges 
for  workforce  reductions  and  facility  rationalization  may  be 
required in order to effectively execute our productivity programs.

U. S. INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIC TRENDS

In 2020, sales in the U.S. accounted for over half of our total 
sales. The various indicators we use to gauge the direction and 
momentum of our served U.S. markets include:

zz The Industrial Production (IP) Index, published by the Federal 
Reserve, which measures the real output of manufacturing, 
mining, and electric and gas utilities. The IP Index is expressed 
as a percentage of real output in a base year, currently 2012. 
Historically, there has been a meaningful correlation between the 
changes in the IP Index and the level of automation investment 
made by our U.S. customers in their manufacturing base.

zz The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), published 
by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), which indicates 
the current and near-term state of manufacturing activity in the 
U.S. According to the ISM, a PMI measure above 50 indicates that 
the U.S. manufacturing economy is generally expanding while 
a measure below 50 indicates that it is generally contracting.

The table below depicts the trends in these indicators from fiscal 
2018 to 2020. These figures are as of November 10, 2020 and are 
subject to revision by the issuing organizations. In the fourth 
quarter of fiscal 2020, PMI and the IP Index improved compared 
to the prior quarter; however, industrial output in the U.S. at the 
end of the fourth quarter was still below its pre-pandemic level. 
Sequential growth is projected for the IP Index in the first quarter 
of fiscal 2021.

Fiscal 2020 quarter ended

September 2020

June 2020

March 2020

December 2019

Fiscal 2019 quarter ended:

September 2019

June 2019

March 2019

December 2018

Fiscal 2018 quarter ended:

September 2018

June 2018

March 2018

December 2017

IP Index

PMI

101.8

93.6

107.7

109.6

109.5

109.2

109.8

110.3

109.3

107.9

106.7

106.1

55.4

52.6

49.1

47.8

48.2

51.6

54.6

54.3

59.5

60.0

59.3

59.3

Note: Economic indicators are subject to revisions by the issuing organizations.

NON-U.S. ECONOMIC TRENDS

In  2020,  sales  to  customers  outside  the  U.S.  accounted  for 
less than half of our total sales. These customers include both 
indigenous companies and multinational companies with a global 
presence. In addition to the global factors previously mentioned 
in the “Overview” section, international demand, particularly in 
emerging markets, has historically been driven by the strength 
of  the  industrial  economy  in  each  region,  investments  in 
infrastructure and expanding consumer markets. We use changes 
in key countries’ gross domestic product and IP as indicators of 
the growth opportunities in each region where we do business.

After a significant decline in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, 
industrial output outside the U.S. saw sequential growth in the 
fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.  Similar to the US, industrial output 
remains below pre-pandemic levels in most regions; however, 
sequential growth is projected for all regions in the first quarter 
of fiscal 2021.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

We are actively monitoring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic 
on all aspects of our business and geographies. While the duration 
and severity of those impacts are highly uncertain, they have had, 
and could continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, 
financial condition and results of operations. Our company is an 
essential business to support critical infrastructure because our 
customers cannot build their products at scale without automation.

We have a global supply chain, including a network of suppliers and 
distribution and manufacturing facilities. Our supply chain team 
is closely managing our end-to-end supply chain, from sourcing 
to production to customer delivery, and with a particular focus 
on all critical and at-risk suppliers and supplier locations globally.

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We  have  implemented  safety  and  hygiene  processes  at  our 
manufacturing and distribution locations to keep our employees 
safe, including separation of shifts and workstations, temperature 
monitoring, and other recommended practices. We have also 
taken actions to help keep our non-manufacturing employees 
safe,  including:  directing  employees  to  work  from  home, 
wherever possible, limiting and screening visitors to our facilities, 
implementing travel restrictions, canceling events that involve 
large  groups  of  people,  encouraging  social  distancing  best 
practices, and enhancing cleaning in our facilities and major 
locations. Some of the changes implemented have resulted in, 
and could continue to result in, operational inefficiencies.

Our solutions and services businesses include engineers and 
other employees who design and implement solutions through 
a combination of domain expertise and our technology. Physical 
access to customer facilities is often important as we deliver those 
solutions. As a result of COVID-19, access to customer facilities in 
some instances has been difficult. This has led to some project 
delays, as well as inefficiencies due to lower labor utilization.

On April 8, 2020, we announced several actions to address the 
then-current and anticipated economic conditions as a result of 
the global COVID-19 pandemic, and we have taken additional cost 
actions. There was no payout earned under our incentive plans 
for fiscal 2020, and we have adjusted our cost structure to help 
balance our financial strength and flexibility with protecting our 
most important investments to drive long-term differentiation. 
These actions included elimination of all discretionary spending, 
delays of non-critical investments, further adjustment of levels 
of  contract  labor,  and  deferral  of  any  non-essential  capital 
expenditures. We implemented the following temporary cost 
actions,  effective  May  2020  through  November  2020:  salary 
reductions for all non-manufacturing employees globally and 
temporary suspension of the 401(k) match for all U.S. employees. 
We also reduced cash fees for the Board of Directors effective 
through December 2020.

While we have taken several cost reduction actions, we have 
maintained  and,  in  some  cases,  have  selectively  increased 
investments in some of our highest priority areas in order to 

increase differentiation and create long-term value for customers 
and shareowners.

OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

The  COVID-19  pandemic  had  a  cascading  effect  on  the  Oil  & 
Gas industry. Business closures and restrictions on people’s 
mobility  decreased  demand  for  oil  and  gas.  During  the  year, 
global production levels exceeded lower demand which resulted 
in global oversupply and volatility in oil prices. These factors have 
had, and could continue to have, a negative impact on our Oil & Gas 
customers’ business operations and financial condition resulting 
in reductions in their industrial spending.

OUTLOOK

Beginning in fiscal 2021, we are changing our definition of Adjusted 
Income and Adjusted EPS to exclude the impact of purchase 
accounting depreciation and amortization expense attributable 
to  Rockwell  Automation,  including  the  related  tax  effects. 
The definition of Adjusted Effective Tax Rate is also changing to 
correspond to the purchase accounting items now being excluded 
from Adjusted Income. We believe these new definitions provide 
more useful information about our operating performance and 
allow management and investors to better compare our operating 
performance period over period, compared to our prior definitions 
of these measures given our increased inorganic investments. See 
Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate 
Reconciliation for more information on these non-GAAP measures. 
Adjusted EPS guidance in the table below is presented using the 
new definition.

The  COVID-19  pandemic  and  global  efforts  to  respond  to  it 
continue to evolve. Our projections assume that a gradual recovery 
continues, with no increase in pandemic-related facility closures 
or disruptions to the supply chain. Based on the information 
available to us at the time of this release, the following table 
provides guidance as it relates to sales growth and earnings per 
share for fiscal 2021:

Sales Growth Guidance

EPS Guidance

Reported sales growth

Organic sales growth(1)

Inorganic sales growth(2)

Currency translation

6% - 9%

3.5% - 6.5%

1.0% - 1.5%

 ~ 1%

Diluted EPS

Adjusted EPS(1)

$8.07 - $8.47

$8.45 - $8.85

(1)  Organic sales growth and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP measures. See Supplemental Sales Information and Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted 

Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation for more information on these non-GAAP measures.

(2)  Estimate for incremental sales resulting from businesses acquired in fiscal year 2020 and 2021.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In 2020, sales were $6,329.8 million, a decrease of 5.5 percent year over year. Organic sales decreased 7.8 percent. Currency translation 
decreased sales by 1.2 percentage points, and acquisitions increased sales by 3.5 percentage points.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Results from the quarter included:

zz Logix reported sales decreased 7 percent year over year in 
2020 compared to 2019. Organic sales decreased 6 percent, 
and currency translation decreased sales by 1 percentage point.

zz Reported sales in emerging countries decreased 4.7 percent 
year  over  year  in  2020  compared  to  2019.  Organic  sales  in 
emerging countries decreased 7.6 percent. Currency translation 
decreased sales in emerging countries by 4.2 percentage points, 
and acquisitions increased sales by 7.1 percentage points.

The following table reflects our sales and operating results (in millions, except per share amounts):

Sales

Architecture & Software (a)

Control Products & Solutions (b)

TOTAL SALES (c)

Segment operating earnings(1)

Architecture & Software (d)

Control Products & Solutions (e)

Total segment operating earnings(2) (f)

Purchase accounting depreciation and amortization

General corporate — net

Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit (cost) credit

Costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Gain (loss) on investments

Valuation adjustments related to the registration of PTC Shares

Interest (expense) income, net

Income before income taxes (g)

Income tax provision(3)

Net income

Net (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

DILUTED EPS

ADJUSTED EPS(4)

DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE OUTSTANDING SHARES

Architecture & Software segment operating margin (d/a)

Control Product & Solutions segment operating margin (e/b)

Total segment operating margin(2) (f/c)

Pre-tax margin (g/c)

$

$

$

$

$

$

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

$

$

$

$

$

$

2,832.9

3,496.9

6,329.8

795.2

462.7

1,257.9

(41.4)

(98.9)

(37.4)

—

153.9

—

(98.0)

1,136.1

(112.9)

1,023.2

(0.2)

1023.4

8.77

7.68

116.6

28.1%

13.2%

19.9%

17.9%

$

$

$

$

$

$

3,021.9

3,672.9

6,694.8

874.8

598.8

1,473.6

(16.6)

(108.8)

8.4

—

(402.2)

33.7

(87.1)

901.0

(205.2)

695.8

—

695.8

5.83

8.67

119.3

28.9%

16.3%

22.0%

13.5%

3,050.2

3,615.8

6,666.0

897.9

543.9

1,441.8

(17.4)

(100.0)

(23.8)

(11.2)

123.7

(33.7)

(48.6)

1,330.8

(795.3)

535.5

—

535.5

4.21

8.10

126.9

29.4%

15.0%

21.6%

20.0%

(1)  See Note 19 in the Consolidated Financial Statements for the definition of segment operating earnings. Effective October 1, 2018, we realigned our reportable 
segments for a transfer of business activities between our segments. We also reclassified interest income from general corporate - net to interest (expense) 
income, net. As a result, the prior period presentation of reportable segments has been restated to conform to the current segment reporting structure.
(2)  Total segment operating earnings and total segment operating margin are non-GAAP financial measures. We exclude purchase accounting depreciation and 
amortization, general corporate – net, non-operating pension and postretirement benefit credit (cost), costs related to the unsolicited Emerson proposals 
in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, gains and losses on investments, valuation adjustments related to the registration of PTC Shares, gains and losses from 
the  disposition  of  businesses,  interest  (expense)  income  -  net  and  income  tax  provision  because  we  do  not  consider  these  costs  to  be  directly  related  to 
the operating performance of our segments. We believe that these measures are useful to investors as measures of operating performance. We use these 
measures to monitor and evaluate the profitability of our operating segments. Our measures of total segment operating earnings and total segment operating 
margin may be different from measures used by other companies.

(3)  During fiscal 2018, we recorded charges of $538.3 million associated with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”). Refer to Note 16 in 

the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

(4)  Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP earnings measure. See Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation for more information on 

this non-GAAP measure.

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2020 COMPARED TO 2019

SALES

Sales in fiscal 2020 decreased 5.5 percent compared to 2019. Organic sales decreased 7.8 percent. Currency translation decreased 
sales by 1.2 percentage points. Acquisitions increased sales by 3.5 percentage points. Pricing increased sales by approximately 1 
percentage point.

The table below presents our sales, attributed to the geographic regions based upon country of destination, for the year ended 
September 30, 2020 and the percentage change from the same period a year ago:

(in millions, except percentages)

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

Latin America

TOTAL SALES

Year Ended 
September 30, 2020

Change vs.  
Year Ended 
September 30, 2019

Change in Organic
Sales(1) vs.  
Year Ended 
September 30, 2019

$

$

3,760.2

1,249.3

868.7

451.6

6,329.8

(6.3)%

—%

(4.4)%

(13.5)%

(5.5)%

(8.5)%

(6.5)%

(5.3)%

(9.5)%

(7.8)%

(1)  Organic sales and organic sales growth exclude the effect of acquisitions, changes in currency exchange rates, and divestitures. See Supplemental Sales 

Information for information on these non-GAAP measures.

zz Sales  in  North  America  decreased  year  over  year,  led  by 

weakness in Oil & Gas, Metals, and Pulp & Paper.

zz EMEA  sales  remained  flat  year  over  year.  Organic  sales 

decreased, driven by weak process industries and Tire. 

zz Asia Pacific sales decreased year over year, due to weakness in 

Oil & Gas and Food & Beverage. 

zz Sales in Latin America decreased year over year, primarily due 

to Oil & Gas, Automotive, and Mining.

GENERAL CORPORATE - NET

General corporate - net expenses were $98.9 million in fiscal 2020 
compared to $108.8 million in fiscal 2019.

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

Income  before  income  taxes  increased  26  percent  from 
$901.0  million  in  2019  to  $1,136.1  million  in  2020,  primarily 
due to fair-value adjustments recognized in 2019 and 2020 in 
connection with our investment in PTC (the “PTC adjustments”), 
partially offset by lower sales. Total segment operating earnings 
decreased 15 percent year over year from $1,473.6 million in 2019 
to $1,257.9 million in 2020, primarily due to lower sales, partially 
offset by a combination of temporary and structural cost actions.

INCOME TAXES

The  effective  tax  rate  in  2020  was  9.9  percent  compared  to 
22.8 percent in 2019. The decrease in the effective tax rate was 
primarily due to the PTC adjustments, tax benefits recognizable 
upon the formation of the Sensia joint venture, and other discrete 
items. The Adjusted Effective Tax Rate in 2020 was 12.0 percent 
compared to 17.9 percent in 2019. The decrease in the Adjusted 
Effective Tax Rate was primarily due to our benefit from non-U.S. 
tax rates, tax benefits recognizable upon the formation of the 
Sensia joint venture, and other discrete items.

See  Note  16  in  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  a 
complete reconciliation of the United States statutory tax rate to 
the effective tax rate and more information on tax events in 2020 
and 2019 affecting each year’s respective tax rates.

DILUTED EPS AND ADJUSTED EPS

Fiscal 2020 net income attributable to Rockwell Automation was 
$1,023.4 million or $8.77 per share, compared to $695.8 million 
or $5.83 per share in fiscal 2019. The increase in net income 
attributable  to  Rockwell  Automation  and  diluted  EPS  were 
primarily due to the PTC adjustments, partially offset by lower 
sales. Fiscal 2020 Adjusted EPS was $7.68 in fiscal 2020, down 
11 percent compared to $8.67 in fiscal 2019, primarily due to lower 
sales, partially offset by a combination of temporary and structural 
cost actions.

ARCHITECTURE & SOFTWARE

The  Architecture  &  Software  operating  segment  contains  a 
comprehensive portfolio of automation and information platforms, 
including hardware and software. This integrated portfolio is 
capable of controlling our customers’ industrial processes and 
manufacturing, as well as providing connections to enterprise 
business systems.

Our automation platform is multi-discipline and scalable with 
the ability to handle applications in discrete, batch/hybrid and 
continuous process, drives control, motion control, machine safety 
and process safety. Our products include programmable automation 
controllers, design, visualization and simulation software, human 
machine  interface  products,  networking  products,  industrial 
computers, sensing devices, machine safety devices, motion 
control products, and independent cart technology products.

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ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Our  information  platform  includes  manufacturing  execution 
system software and analytics software that enables customers 
to  improve  operational  productivity  and  meet  regulatory 
requirements.  This  platform  enables  enterprise  visibility, 
reduction of unplanned downtime, and optimization of processes.

SALES

Architecture & Software sales decreased 6.3 percent in 2020 
compared to 2019. Organic sales decreased 5.7 percent, the 
effects of currency translation decreased sales by 1.2 percentage 
points, and acquisitions increased sales by 0.6 percentage points. 
All regions experienced sales declines. Logix reported sales 
decreased 7 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. Logix organic 
sales decreased 6 percent, and the effects of currency translation 
decreased sales by 1 percentage point.

SEGMENT OPERATING MARGIN

Architecture & Software segment operating earnings decreased 
9 percent. Segment operating margin decreased to 28.1% in 2020 
from 28.9% in 2019, primarily due to lower sales, partially offset by 
a combination of temporary and structural cost actions.

CONTROL PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

The Control Products & Solutions operating segment combines a 
comprehensive portfolio of intelligent motor control and industrial 
control products, value-added solutions and a complete portfolio 
of professionally delivered lifecycle services. This comprehensive 
portfolio includes:

zz Low and medium voltage electro-mechanical and electronic 
motor starters and AC/DC variable frequency drives, motor 
control  and  circuit  protection  devices,  operator  devices, 
signaling devices, termination and protection devices, relays 
and timers and electrical control accessories.

zz Value-added solutions ranging from pre-configured line to 
load power solutions, packaged drives, motor control centers, 

intelligent packaged power and engineered to order automation 
equipment solutions. 

zz Professional lifecycle services combine technology and domain 
expertise to help maximize customers’ automation investment 
and provide total lifecycle support as they design, build, sustain 
and optimize their automation investments. This broad portfolio 
includes safety, security and digital transformation consulting, 
global automation and information project delivery capabilities, 
plant  network,  cloud,  and  cybersecurity  services,  asset 
management and predictive analytics, and remote, on-site and 
managed support services. 

SALES

Control Products & Solutions sales decreased 4.8 percent in 2020 
compared to 2019. Organic sales decreased 9.5 percent. The 
effects of currency translation decreased sales by 1.2 percentage 
points, and acquisitions increased sales by 5.9 percentage points. 
All regions experienced reported sales declines, except EMEA. All 
regions experienced organic sales declines.

Product  sales  decreased  10  percent  year  over  year.  Product 
organic sales decreased 9 percent, and currency translation 
decreased sales by approximately 1 percentage point.

Sales  in  our  solutions  and  services  businesses  decreased 
approximately  1  percent  year  over  year.  Organic  sales  in  our 
solutions and services businesses decreased 10 percent during 
2020. Currency translation decreased sales by approximately 
1  percentage  point,  and  acquisitions  increased  sales  by 
10 percentage points.

SEGMENT OPERATING MARGIN

Control  Products  &  Solutions  segment  operating  earnings 
decreased 23 percent year over year. Segment operating margin 
decreased  to  13.2%  in  2020  from  16.3%  percent  a  year  ago, 
primarily due to lower sales and the impact of acquisitions, partially 
offset by a combination of temporary and structural cost actions.

2019 COMPARED TO 2018

SALES

Sales in fiscal 2019 increased 0.4 percent compared to 2018. Organic sales increased 2.8 percent. Currency translation decreased sales 
by 2.4 percentage points. Including price increases relating to tariffs, pricing contributed less than two percentage points to growth.

The table below presents our sales, attributed to the geographic regions based upon country of destination, for the year ended 
September 30, 2019, and the percentage change from the same period a year ago:

(in millions, except percentages)

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

Latin America

TOTAL SALES

Year Ended
September 30, 2019

Change vs. 
Year Ended
September 30, 2018

Change in Organic
Sales(1) vs. 
Year Ended
September 30, 2018

$

$

4,014.3

1,249.8

908.6

522.1

6,694.8

1.3%

(2.9)%

(2.6)%

8.4%

0.4%

1.6%

2.9%

1.7%

14.2%

2.8%

(1)  Organic sales and organic sales growth exclude the effect of acquisitions, changes in currency exchange rates, and divestitures. See Supplemental Sales 

Information for information on these non-GAAP measures.

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ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

zz Sales in North America increased year over year, led by strength 
in process end markets, specifically Oil & Gas, and Pulp & Paper.
zz EMEA sales decreased year over year, primarily as a result of 
currency translation. Organic sales increased, led by strength 
in hybrid and process end markets, specifically Life Sciences 
and Tire. 

zz Asia Pacific sales decreased year over year, primarily as a 
result of currency translation. Organic sales increased, led by 
strength in process end markets, specifically in Oil & Gas, Mass 
Transit, and Water / Wastewater, partially offset by weakness 
in Semiconductor. 

zz Sales in Latin America increased year over year, led by process 

end markets, including Mining and Oil & Gas.

GENERAL CORPORATE - NET

General corporate - net expenses were $108.8 million in fiscal 2019 
compared to $100.0 million in fiscal 2018.

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

Income  before  income  taxes  decreased  32  percent  from 
$1,330.8 million in 2018 to $901.0 million in 2019, primarily due 
to gains and losses on investments and valuation adjustments 
related to the registration of PTC Shares. Total segment operating 
earnings increased 2 percent year over year from $1,441.8 million 
in 2018 to $1,473.6 million in 2019.

INCOME TAXES

The effective tax rate in 2019 was 22.8 percent compared to 
59.8 percent in 2018. The decrease in the effective tax rate was 
primarily due to the prior year impact of tax expense related to 
the transition tax on the deemed repatriation of foreign earnings 
($395.8 million or 29.8 percent), withholding taxes on previously 
taxed foreign earnings ($38.1 million or 2.8 percent), the revaluation 
of net deferred tax assets resulting from the Tax Act ($104.4 million 
or 7.9 percent), and the impact of the lower U.S. statutory tax rate 
under the Tax Act.

The Adjusted Effective Tax Rate in 2019 was 17.9 percent compared 
to 19.3 percent in 2018. The decrease in the Adjusted Effective Tax 
Rate was primarily due to the lower U.S. statutory tax rate under 
the Tax Act.

See  Note  16  in  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  a 
complete reconciliation of the United States statutory tax rate to 
the effective tax rate and more information on tax events in 2019 
and 2018 affecting each year’s respective tax rates.

ARCHITECTURE & SOFTWARE

SALES

Architecture & Software sales decreased 0.9 percent in 2019 
compared to 2018. Organic sales increased 1.5 percent, the effects 
of currency translation decreased sales by 2.5 percentage points, 
and the current year acquisition increased sales by 0.1 percentage 
points. All regions experienced reported sales declines, except 
for Asia Pacific. Organic sales growth was led by Asia Pacific and 
EMEA. Logix reported sales decreased 2 percent in 2019 compared 
to 2018. Logix organic sales increased 1 percent, and the effects 
of currency translation decreased sales by 3 percentage points.

SEGMENT OPERATING MARGIN

Architecture & Software segment operating earnings decreased 
3 percent. Operating margin was 28.9% percent in 2019 compared 
to 29.4% percent in 2018.

CONTROL PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

SALES

Control Products & Solutions sales increased 1.6 percent in 2019 
compared to 2018. Organic sales increased 3.8 percent, and the 
effect of currency translation decreased sales by 2.2 percentage 
points. Control Products & Solutions experienced reported and 
organic sales growth, led by North America and Latin America.

Product sales decreased 1 percent year over year. Product organic 
sales increased 1 percent, and currency translation decreased 
sales by approximately 2 percentage points.

Sales  in  our  solutions  and  services  businesses  increased 
approximately 3 percent year over year. Organic sales in our 
solutions and services businesses increased 6 percent during 
2019, and currency translation decreased sales by approximately 
3 percentage points.

SEGMENT OPERATING MARGIN

Control  Products  &  Solutions  segment  operating  earnings 
increased 10 percent year over year. Segment operating margin 
was 16.3 percent in 2019 compared to 15.0 percent a year ago, 
primarily due to higher sales.

23

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

SUPPLEMENTAL SEGMENT INFORMATION

Purchase accounting depreciation and amortization and non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit) are not allocated 
to our operating segments because these costs are excluded from our measurement of each segment’s operating performance for 
internal purposes. If we were to allocate these costs, we would attribute them to each of our segments as follows (in millions):

Purchase accounting depreciation and amortization

Architecture & Software

Control Products & Solutions

Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Architecture & Software

Control Products & Solutions

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

$

8.9 $

6.4

$

31.5

9.1

9.6

15.1

(5.4)

(8.5)

6.3

10.1

7.1

11.2

ADJUSTED INCOME, ADJUSTED EPS AND ADJUSTED 
EFFECTIVE TAX RATE RECONCILIATION

Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate 
are non-GAAP earnings measures that exclude non-operating 
pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit), net income 
(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, gains and losses 
on investments, valuation adjustments related to the registration 
of PTC Shares in fiscal 2019 and 2018, and costs related to the 
unsolicited Emerson proposals in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, 
including  their  respective  tax  effects,  and  the  adjustments 
related to the Tax Act in fiscal 2018. Non-operating pension and 
postretirement benefit cost (credit) is defined as all components 
of our net periodic pension and postretirement benefit cost 

except for service cost. See Note 14 in the Consolidated Financial 
Statements for more information on our net periodic pension and 
postretirement benefit cost.

We believe that Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted 
Effective Tax Rate provide useful information to our investors 
about our operating performance and allow management and 
investors to compare our operating performance period over 
period.  Adjusted  EPS  is  also  used  as  a  financial  measure  of 
performance for our annual incentive compensation. Our measures 
of Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate 
may be different from measures used by other companies. These 
non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for 
net income attributable to Rockwell Automation, diluted EPS and 
effective tax rate.

24

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following are reconciliations of net income attributable to Rockwell Automation, diluted EPS and effective tax rate to Adjusted 
Income, Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate, respectively (in millions, except per share amounts and percentages):

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

Net income attributable to Rockwell Automation

$

1,023.4

$

695.8

$

535.5

Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Tax effect of non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Tax effect of costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Change in fair value of investments(1)

Tax effect of change in fair value of investments(1)

Effect of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

Effect of net deferred tax asset revaluation due to the Tax Act

Effect of withholding taxes on previously taxed foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

ADJUSTED INCOME

Diluted EPS

$

$

Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Tax effect of non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Tax effect of costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Change in fair value of investments(1)

Tax effect of change in fair value of investments(1)

Effect of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

Effect of net deferred tax asset revaluation due to the Tax Act

Effect of withholding taxes on previously taxed foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

37.4

(10.1)

—

—

(153.9)

—

—

—

—

896.8

8.77

0.32

(0.09)

—

—

(1.32)

—

—

—

—

$

$

(8.4)

1.0

—

—

368.5

(21.7)

—

—

—

1,035.2

5.83

(0.07)

0.01

—

—

3.08

(0.18)

—

—

—

$

$

ADJUSTED EPS

Effective tax rate

Tax effect of non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Tax effect of costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Tax effect of change in fair value of investments(1)

Effect of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

Effect of net deferred tax asset revaluation due to the Tax Act

Effect of withholding taxes on previously taxed foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

$

7.68

$

8.67

$

9.9%

0.6%

—%

1.5%

—%

—%

—%

22.8%

0.1%

—%

(5.0)%

—%

—%

—%

ADJUSTED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE

12.0 %

17.9%

(1) 

Includes (gain) loss on investments and valuation adjustments related to the registration of PTC Shares.

23.8

(7.5)

11.2

(3.1)

(90.0)

21.7

395.8

104.4

38.1

1,029.9

4.21

0.18

(0.06)

0.09

(0.02)

(0.71)

0.17

3.12

0.82

0.30

8.10

59.8%

0.3%

0.1%

(0.4)%

(29.8)%

(7.9)%

(2.8)%

19.3%

Beginning in fiscal 2021, we are changing our definition of Adjusted 
Income and Adjusted EPS to also exclude the impact of purchase 
accounting depreciation and amortization expense attributable 
to  Rockwell  Automation  and  the  related  tax  effects  of  such 
exclusion. The definition of Adjusted Effective Tax Rate is also 
changing to correspond to the purchase accounting items now 
being excluded from Adjusted Income.

Under this new definition, Adjusted Income, Adjusted EPS and 
Adjusted Effective Tax Rate are non-GAAP earnings measures 
that exclude net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling 
interests, purchase accounting depreciation and amortization 
expense attributable to Rockwell Automation, non-operating 
pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit), gains and losses 
on investments, valuation adjustments related to the registration 

25

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

of PTC Shares in fiscal 2019 and 2018, and costs related to the 
unsolicited Emerson proposals in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, 
including their respective tax effects, and the adjustments related 
to the Tax Act in fiscal 2018.

Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Effective Tax Rate guidance and 
comparable prior periods in the table below are presented using 
the new definitions and these non-GAAP measures are reconciled 
to the corresponding GAAP measures.

Diluted EPS

Purchase accounting depreciation and amortization expense attributable 
to Rockwell Automation

Tax effect of purchase accounting depreciation and amortization expense 
attributable to Rockwell Automation

Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Tax effect of non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

Costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Tax effect of costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Change in fair value of investments(1)

Tax effect of change in fair value of investments(1)

Effect of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

Effect of net deferred tax asset revaluation due to the Tax Act

Effect of withholding taxes on previously taxed foreign earnings due to the 
Tax Act

ADJUSTED EPS(2)

Effective tax rate

Tax effect of purchase accounting depreciation and amortization expense 
attributable to Rockwell Automation

Tax effect of non-operating pension and postretirement benefit cost (credit)

~ 0.3%

Tax effect of costs related to unsolicited Emerson proposals

Tax effect of change in fair value of investments(1)

Effect of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings due to the Tax Act

Effect of net deferred tax asset revaluation due to the Tax Act

Effect of withholding taxes on previously taxed foreign earnings due to the 
Tax Act

—

~ —%

—

—

—

Year Ended September 30,

Fiscal 2021 
Guidance

2020

2019

2018

$8.07 - $8.47

$

8.77

$

5.83

$

4.21

0.28

(0.07)

0.24

(0.07)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

0.25

0.14

0.14

(0.06)

(0.03)

(0.03)

0.32

(0.09)

—

—

(1.32)

—

—

—

—

(0.07)

0.01

—

—

3.08

(0.18)

—

—

—

0.18

(0.06)

0.09

(0.02)

(0.71)

0.17

3.12

0.82

0.30

$8.45 - $8.85

$

7.87

$

8.78

$

8.21

~ 13.3%

~ 0.4%

9.9%

22.8%

59.8%

0.4%

0.6%

—%

1.5%

—%

—%

—%

—%

0.1%

—%

—%

0.3%

0.1%

(5.0)%

(0.4)%

—%

—%

—%

(29.8)%

(7.9)%

(2.8)%

ADJUSTED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE

~ 14.0%

12.4%

17.9%

19.3%

(1)  The year ended September 30, 2020 included a gain on investment of $153.9 million due to the change in value of our investment in PTC. Fiscal 2021 guidance 

excludes estimates of these adjustments on a forward-looking basis due to variability, complexity, and limited visibility of these items. 

(2)  Fiscal 2021 guidance based on Adjusted Income attributable to Rockwell, which includes an adjustment for Schlumberger’s non-controlling interest in Sensia.

26

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FINANCIAL CONDITION

The following is a summary of our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, as reflected in the Consolidated Statement 
of Cash Flows (in millions):

Cash provided by (used for):

Operating activities

Investing activities

Financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

$

1,120.5 $

1,182.0 $

1,300.0

(618.0)

(798.9)

8.4

225.0

(170.4)

(985.9)

(1,888.9)

(21.5)

(32.8)

CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY CONTINUING OPERATIONS

$

(288.0) $

399.6 $

(792.1)

The following table summarizes free cash flow, which is a non-GAAP financial measure (in millions):

Cash provided by continuing operating activities

Capital expenditures

FREE CASH FLOW

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

1,120.5 $

1,182.0 $

1,300.0

(113.9)

(132.8)

(125.5)

1,006.6 $

1,049.2 $

1,174.5

$

$

Our definition of free cash flow takes into consideration capital 
investments required to maintain our businesses’ operations 
and execute our strategy. Cash provided by continuing operating 
activities adds back non-cash depreciation expense to earnings 
but does not reflect a charge for necessary capital expenditures. 
Our definition of free cash flow excludes the operating cash 
flows  and  capital  expenditures  related  to  our  discontinued 
operations, if any. Operating, investing and financing cash flows 
of our discontinued operations, if any, are presented separately 
in our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. In our opinion, 
free cash flow provides useful information to investors regarding 
our ability to generate cash from business operations that is 
available for acquisitions and other investments, service of debt 
principal, dividends and share repurchases. We use free cash 
flow, as defined, as one measure to monitor and evaluate our 
performance, including as a financial measure for our annual 
incentive compensation. Our definition of free cash flow may differ 
from definitions used by other companies.

Cash provided by operating activities was $1,120.5 million for the 
year ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1,182.0 million 
for  the  year  ended  September  30,  2019.  Free  cash  flow  was 
$1,006.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2020, compared 
to $1,049.2 million for the year ended September 30, 2019. The 
year-over-year decreases in cash provided by operating activities 
and free cash flow were primarily due to lower pre-tax income, 
excluding non-cash adjustments, and a voluntary $50.0 million 
contribution to our U.S. qualified pension plan in fiscal 2020, 
partially offset by lower income tax and incentive compensation 
payments in fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019.

We repurchased approximately 1.4 million shares of our common 
stock under our share repurchase program in 2020 at a total cost of 
$254.7 million and an average cost of $182.18 per share. In 2019, we 
repurchased approximately 6.1 million shares of our common stock 
under our share repurchase program at a total cost of $1.0 billion 
and an average cost of $164.68 per share. At September 30, 2020, 
there were no outstanding common stock share repurchases 
recorded in accounts payable. At September 30, 2019, there were 
$9.3 million of outstanding common stock share repurchases 
recorded in accounts payable that did not settle until 2020. Our 
decision to repurchase shares in 2021 will depend on business 
conditions, free cash flow generation, other cash requirements 
and stock price. On both September 6, 2018 and July 24, 2019, 
the Board of Directors authorized us to expend $1.0 billion to 
repurchase  shares  of  our  common  stock.  At  September  30, 
2020, we had approximately $853.7 million remaining for share 
repurchases  under  our  existing  board  authorizations.  See 
Part II, Item 5. Market for the Company’s Common Equity, Related 
Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities, for 
additional information regarding share repurchases.

We  expect  future  uses  of  cash  to  include  working  capital 
requirements, capital expenditures, additional contributions to our 
retirement plans, acquisitions of businesses and other inorganic 
investments, dividends to shareowners, repurchases of common 
stock and repayments of debt. We expect capital expenditures in 
2021 to be about $150 million. We expect to fund future uses of 
cash with a combination of existing cash balances, cash generated 
by operating activities, commercial paper borrowings or a new 
issuance of debt or other securities.

27

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

At  September  30,  2020,  the  majority  of  our  cash  and  cash 
equivalents were held by non-U.S. subsidiaries. As a result of the 
broad changes to the U.S. international tax system under the Tax 
Act, in fiscal year 2018 we began to account for substantially all 
of our non-U.S. subsidiaries as being immediately subject to tax, 
while still concluding that earnings are indefinitely reinvested for 
a limited number of subsidiaries.

During fiscal 2020, we repatriated approximately $513.6 million to 
the U.S. from our foreign subsidiaries. The source of these funds 
was cash and cash equivalents and from the liquidation of short 
and long-term investments.

In addition to cash generated by operating activities, we have 
access to existing financing sources, including the public debt 
markets and unsecured credit facilities with various banks.

Our short-term debt as of September 30, 2020, primarily consisted 
of $23.5 million of interest-bearing loans from Schlumberger to 
Sensia, which were originally due September 30, 2020, and are now 
due September 30, 2021. The short-term loans from Schlumberger 
were entered into following formation of Sensia. See Note 4 in the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on 
Sensia. There were no commercial paper borrowings outstanding 
as of September 30, 2020 and 2019.

On November 13, 2018, we replaced our former five-year $1.0 billion 
unsecured revolving credit facility with a new five-year $1.25 billion 
unsecured revolving credit facility expiring in November 2023. We 
can increase the aggregate amount of this credit facility by up to 
$750.0 million, subject to the consent of the banks in the credit 
facility. We did not incur early termination penalties in connection 
with the termination of the former credit facility. We did not borrow 
against either facility during the periods ended September 30, 
2020  or  2019.  Borrowings  under  the  new  credit  facility  bear 
interest based on short-term money market rates in effect during 
the period the borrowings are outstanding. This credit facility 
contains covenants under which we agree to maintain an EBITDA-
to-interest ratio of at least 3.0 to 1.0. The EBITDA-to-interest 
ratio is defined in the credit facility as the ratio of consolidated 
EBITDA (as defined in the facility) for the preceding four quarters 
to consolidated interest expense for the same period.

LIBOR is the primary basis for determining interest payments on 
borrowings under our $1.25 billion credit facility. Banks currently 
reporting information used to set LIBOR will stop doing so after 
2021. Various parties, including government agencies, are seeking 
to identify an alternative rate to replace LIBOR. We are monitoring 
their efforts, and we will likely amend contracts to accommodate 
any replacement rate where it is not already provided.

In April 2020, we entered into a $400.0 million senior unsecured 
364-day term loan credit agreement and were advanced the full 
loan amount. This agreement was in addition to our existing 
$1.25  billion  unsecured  revolving  credit  facility  expiring  in 
November 2023, which remains available and undrawn. Interest 
on these borrowings was based on short-term money market rates 
in effect during the period the borrowings were outstanding. We 
repaid the $400.0 million term loan in September 2020.

Separate short-term unsecured credit facilities of approximately 
$229.6 million at September 30, 2020, were available to non-U.S. 
subsidiaries. Borrowings under our non-U.S. credit facilities at 
September 30, 2020 and 2019, were not significant. We were 
in  compliance  with  all  covenants  under  our  credit  facilities 
at  September  30,  2020  and  2019.  There  are  no  significant 
commitment fees or compensating balance requirements under 
our credit facilities.

In March 2019, we issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount 
of long-term notes in a registered public offering. The offering 
consisted of $425.0 million of 3.500% notes due in March 2029 
(“2029 Notes”) and $575.0 million of 4.200% notes due in March 
2049 (“2049 Notes”), both issued at a discount. Net proceeds to 
the Company from the debt offering were $987.6 million. We used 
these net proceeds primarily to repay our outstanding commercial 
paper, with the remaining proceeds used for general corporate 
purposes.

Among other uses, we can draw on our credit facility as a standby 
liquidity facility to repay our outstanding commercial paper as it 
matures. This access to funds to repay maturing commercial paper 
is an important factor in maintaining the short-term credit ratings 
set forth in the table below. Under our current policy with respect 
to these ratings, we expect to limit our other borrowings under our 
credit facility, if any, to amounts that would leave enough credit 
available under the facility so that we could borrow, if needed, to 
repay all of our then outstanding commercial paper as it matures.

The following is a summary of our credit ratings as of September 30, 2020:

Credit Rating Agency

Standard & Poor’s

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

Short Term Rating

Long Term Rating

Outlook

A-1

P-2

F1

A

A3

A

Stable

Stable

Stable

Our ability to access the commercial paper market, and the related 
costs of these borrowings, is affected by the strength of our credit 
ratings and market conditions. Conditions in the commercial paper 
market have improved since the COVID-19 pandemic negatively 
affected this market in March and April 2020. Although we have 
had no commercial paper outstanding since mid-April 2020, we 
do not believe we would have difficulty issuing commercial paper 

if the need arose currently. If our access to the commercial paper 
market is adversely affected due to a change in market conditions 
or otherwise, we would expect to rely on a combination of available 
cash and our unsecured committed credit facility to provide 
short-term funding. In such event, the cost of borrowings under 
our unsecured committed credit facility could be higher than the 
cost of commercial paper borrowings.

28

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We regularly monitor the third-party depository institutions that 
hold our cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. 
We  diversify  our  cash  and  cash  equivalents  and  short-term 
investments among counterparties to minimize exposure to any 
one of these entities.

We use foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage 
certain foreign currency risks. We enter into these contracts to 
hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate variability 
in  the  expected  future  cash  flows  associated  with  certain 
third-party and intercompany transactions denominated in foreign 
currencies forecasted to occur within the next two years. We also 
use these contracts to hedge portions of our net investments in 
certain non-U.S. subsidiaries against the effect of exchange rate 
fluctuations on the translation of foreign currency balances to the 
U.S. dollar. In addition, we use foreign currency forward exchange 

contracts that are not designated as hedges to offset transaction 
gains or losses associated with some of our assets and liabilities 
resulting from intercompany loans or other transactions with third 
parties that are denominated in currencies other than our entities’ 
functional currencies. Our foreign currency forward exchange 
contracts are usually denominated in currencies of major industrial 
countries. We diversify our foreign currency forward exchange 
contracts among counterparties to minimize exposure to any one 
of these entities.

Cash  dividends  to  shareowners  were  $472.8  million  in  2020 
($4.08  per  common  share),  $459.8  million  in  2019  ($3.88  per 
common share) and $440.8 million in 2018 ($3.51 per common 
share). Our quarterly dividend rate as of September 30, 2020 is 
$1.02 per common share ($4.08 per common share annually), which 
is determined at the sole discretion of our Board of Directors.

A summary of our projected contractual cash obligations at September 30, 2020 is as follows (in millions):

Total

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Thereafter

Payments by Period

Long-term debt and interest(a)

$

4,066.8 $

92.0 $

92.0 $

92.0 $

92.0 $

386.9 $

3,311.9

Minimum operating lease payments 
(Note 18)

Postretirement benefits(b)

Pension funding contribution(c)

Purchase obligations(d)

Other long-term liabilities(e)

Transition tax(f)

Unrecognized tax benefits(g)

387.0

57.0

83.8

377.5

100.8

327.2

29.5

93.7

5.8

83.8

132.6

8.5

31.2

—

78.4

5.7

—

97.8

—

31.2

—

60.6

5.4

—

96.7

—

31.1

—

43.0

5.1

—

28.6

—

58.4

—

28.2

4.7

—

20.7

—

77.9

—

83.1

30.3

—

1.1

—

97.4

—

TOTAL

$

5,429.6 $

447.6 $

305.1 $

285.8 $

227.1 $

518.4 $

3,523.8

(a)  The amounts for long-term debt assume that the respective debt instruments will be outstanding until their scheduled maturity dates. The amounts include 
interest  but  exclude  the  unamortized  discount  and  gain  on  settlement  of  interest  rate  swap  of  $40.3  million  at  September  30,  2020.  See  Note  7  in  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding our long-term debt.

(b)  Our postretirement benefit plans are unfunded and are subject to change. Amounts reported are estimates of future benefit payments, to the extent estimable.
(c)  Amounts reported for pension funding contributions reflect current estimates. Contributions to our pension plans beyond 2021 will depend on future investment 
performance of our pension plan assets, changes in discount rate assumptions and governmental regulations in effect at the time. Amounts subsequent to 
2021 are excluded from the summary above, as we are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of these amounts. The minimum contribution for our U.S. 
pension plan as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is currently zero. We may make additional contributions to this plan at the 
discretion of management.

(d)  This item includes contractual commitments for capital expenditures, certain materials purchases and long-term obligations under agreements with various 

service providers. 

(e)  Other  long-term  liabilities  include  environmental  remediation  costs,  conditional  asset  retirement  obligations  and  indemnification  liabilities.  Amounts 

subsequent to 2021 are excluded from the summary above, as we are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of when the liabilities will be paid.

(f)  Under the Tax Act, the Company may elect to pay the transition tax interest-free over eight years, with 8% due in each of the first five years, 15% in year six, 

20% in year seven, and 25% in year eight. 

(g)  Amount for unrecognized tax benefits includes accrued interest and penalties. We are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of when the liabilities for 

unrecognized tax benefits will be settled or paid.

29

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

SUPPLEMENTAL SALES INFORMATION

We translate sales of subsidiaries operating outside of the United 
States using exchange rates effective during the respective period. 
Therefore, changes in currency exchange rates affect our reported 
sales. Sales by acquired businesses also affect our reported sales. 
We believe that organic sales, defined as sales excluding the 
effects of acquisitions and changes in currency exchange rates, 
which is a non-GAAP financial measure, provides useful information 
to investors because it reflects regional and operating segment 
performance from the activities of our businesses without the 
effect of acquisitions and changes in currency exchange rates. 
We use organic sales as one measure to monitor and evaluate our 

regional and operating segment performance. When we acquire 
businesses, we exclude sales in the current period for which 
there are no comparable sales in the prior period. We determine 
the effect of changes in currency exchange rates by translating 
the respective period’s sales using the same currency exchange 
rates that were in effect during the prior year. When we divest a 
business, we exclude sales in the prior period for which there are 
no comparable sales in the current period. Organic sales growth is 
calculated by comparing organic sales to reported sales in the prior 
year, excluding divestitures. We attribute sales to the geographic 
regions based on the country of destination.

The following is a reconciliation of our reported sales by geographic region to organic sales (in millions):

Year Ended September 30, 2020

Sales

Effect of 
Acquisitions(1)

Effect of
Changes in 
Currency

Organic
Sales

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

Latin America

$

3,760.2 $

(91.5 ) $

4.0 $

3,672.7 $

1,249.3

868.7

451.6

(97.0 )

(22.3 )

(23.1 )

16.7

13.7

43.8

1,169.0

860.1

472.3

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

6,329.8 $

(233.9 ) $

78.2 $

6,174.1 $

6,694.8

(1) 

Includes incremental sales resulting from the formation of the Sensia joint venture and sales from other acquired businesses in fiscal year 2020.

Year Ended September 30, 2019

Sales

Effect of
Acquisitions

Effect of
Changes in 
Currency

Organic
Sales

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia Pacific

Latin America

$

4,014.3 $

(1.5 ) $

13.7 $

4,026.5 $

1,249.8

908.6

522.1

(0.4 )

(0.3 )

—

74.7

40.7

28.2

1,324.1

949.0

550.3

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

6,694.8 $

(2.2) $

157.3 $

6,849.9 $

6,666.0

The following is a reconciliation of our reported sales by operating segment to organic sales (in millions):

Architecture & Software

Control Products & Solutions

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

$

Year Ended September 30, 2020

Sales

Effect of 
Acquisitions(1)

Effect of
Changes in 
Currency

Organic
Sales

2,832.9 $

(17.1 ) $

34.5 $

2,850.3 $

3,496.9

(216.8 )

43.7

3,323.8

Year Ended 
September 30, 
2019

Sales

3,021.9

3,672.9

6,329.8 $

(233.9 ) $

78.2 $

6,174.1 $

6,694.8

Includes incremental sales resulting from the formation of the Sensia joint venture and sales from other acquired businesses in fiscal year 2020.

(1) 

30

Year Ended 
September 30, 
2019

Sales

4,014.3

1,249.8

908.6

522.1

Sales

3,964.1

1,286.8

933.3

481.8

Year Ended 
September 30, 
2018

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended September 30, 2019

Sales

Effect of
Acquisitions

Effect of
Changes in 
Currency

Year Ended 
September 30, 
2018

Organic
Sales

Sales

Architecture & Software

Control Products & Solutions

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

$

3,021.9 $

(2.2 ) $

76.5 $

3,096.2 $

3,050.2

3,672.9

—

80.8

3,753.7

3,615.8

6,694.8 $

(2.2) $

157.3 $

6,849.9 $

6,666.0

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

We believe the following accounting estimates are the most 
critical to the understanding of our financial statements as they 
could have the most significant effect on our reported results 
and require subjective or complex judgments by management. 
Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States 
require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the 
reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the 
consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses 
during the periods reported. These estimates are based on our 
best judgment about current and future conditions, but actual 
results could differ from those estimates. Refer to Note 1 in the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our 
significant accounting policies.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS — PENSION

Pension costs and obligations are actuarially determined and 
are influenced by assumptions used to estimate these amounts, 
including the discount rate. Changes in any of the assumptions 
and the amortization of differences between the assumptions and 
actual experience will affect the amount of pension expense in 
future periods.

Our global pension expense in 2020 was $130.9 million compared 
to $72.0 million in 2019. Approximately 83 percent of our 2020 
global pension expense and 76 percent of our global projected 
benefit obligation relate to our U.S. pension plan. The discount 
rate  used  to  determine  our  2020  U.S.  pension  expense  was 
3.30 percent, compared to 4.35 percent for 2019.

For 2021, our U.S. discount rate will decrease to 2.90 percent 
from  3.30  percent  in  2020.  The  discount  rate  was  set  as  of 
our September 30 measurement date and was determined by 
modeling a portfolio of bonds that match the expected cash flow 
of our benefit plans.

The changes in our discount rate has an inverse relationship with our net periodic benefit cost and projected benefit obligation. The 
following chart illustrates the estimated change in projected benefit obligation and annual net periodic benefit cost assuming a change 
of 25 basis points in the discount rate for our U.S. pension plans (in millions):

Pension Benefits

Change in
Projected
Benefit
Obligation

Change in Net
Periodic 
Benefit
Cost(1)

Discount rate

$

147.9 $

15.4

(1)  Change includes both operating and non-operating pension costs.

More information regarding pension benefits is contained in Note 
14 in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION — CUSTOMER INCENTIVES

We offer various incentive programs that provide distributors 
and direct sale customers with cash rebates, account credits 
or additional hardware and software products, solutions and 
services based on meeting specified program criteria. Customer 
incentives are recognized as a reduction of sales if distributed 
in cash or customer account credits. We record accruals at the 
time of revenue recognition as a current liability within Customer 

returns, rebates and incentives in our Consolidated Balance Sheet 
or, where a right of setoff exists, as a reduction of Receivables. 
Customer  incentives  for  additional  hardware  and  software 
products, solutions and services to be provided are considered 
distinct performance obligations. As such, we allocate revenue to 
them based on relative standalone selling price. Until the incentive 
is redeemed, the revenue is recorded as a contract liability.

Our primary incentive program provides distributors with cash 
rebates or account credits based on agreed amounts that vary 
depending on the customer to whom our distributor ultimately 
sells the product. A critical assumption used in estimating the 

31

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

accrual for this program is the time period from when revenue 
is recognized to when the rebate is processed. Our estimate is 
based primarily on historical experience. If the time period were 
to change by 10 percent, the effect would be an adjustment to the 
accrual of approximately $11.8 million.

More information regarding our revenue recognition and returns, 
rebates  and  incentives  policies  are  contained  in  Note  1  and 
Note 2 in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ACQUISITIONS - CONSOLIDATION OF SENSIA JOINT 
VENTURE

In determining whether to consolidate Sensia, U.S. GAAP requires 
that we evaluate our ability to control the significant financial and 
operating decisions of the joint venture. Determining the nature 
and extent of the noncontrolling interest holder’s rights involves 
management judgment. We have evaluated the noncontrolling 
interest holder’s rights and determined that we control and should 
consolidate Sensia in our financial results.

ACQUISITIONS - SENSIA JOINT VENTURE 
INTANGIBLES VALUATION

The accounting for a business combination requires the excess 
of the purchase price for the acquisition over the net book value 
of assets acquired to be allocated to the identifiable assets of the 
acquired entity. Any unallocated portion is recognized as goodwill. 
We engaged an independent third-party valuation specialist for 
the fair value allocation of the purchase price paid in connection 
with formation of the Sensia joint venture to intangible assets, 
which required the use of several assumptions and estimates. 
Although  we  believe  the  assumptions  and  estimates  made 
were reasonable and appropriate, these estimates are based 
on historical experience and information obtained from Sensia 
management. The key assumption requiring the use of judgment 

was the customer attrition rates ranging from 7.5% to 25%. A 
change in the customer attrition rate of 250 basis points would 
result in a change of $40.4 million in intangible assets.

More information regarding this business combination is contained 
in Note 4 in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

GOODWILL - SENSIA REPORTING UNIT

The quantitative test of goodwill for impairment requires us to 
estimate the fair value of our reporting units. During the second 
quarter of 2020, we performed a quantitative impairment test 
for our Sensia reporting unit. We determined the fair value of the 
reporting unit under a combination of an income approach derived 
from discounted cash flows and a market multiples approach 
using selected comparable public companies.

Critical assumptions used in this approach included management’s 
estimated future revenue growth rates, estimated future margins, 
and discount rate. Estimated future revenue growth and margins 
are based on management’s best estimate about current and 
future conditions. Although we believe the assumptions and 
estimates made were reasonable and appropriate, these estimates 
are based on a number of factors, including historical experience 
and information obtained from reporting unit management. Actual 
results could differ from these estimates, especially given the 
uncertainty over the duration and severity of impacts related to 
the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact on our Oil & Gas customers 
which have been, and could continue to be, impacted by the recent 
volatility in oil prices. We determined the discount rate using our 
weighted average cost of capital adjusted for risk factors specific 
to the reporting unit, with comparison to market and industry 
data. A hypothetical 10 percent decrease in the fair value of this 
reporting unit would not impact our conclusion that goodwill was 
not impaired.

More information regarding goodwill is contained in Note 3 in the 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

See Note 1 in the Consolidated Financial Statements regarding recent accounting pronouncements.

ITEM 7A.   QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT 

MARKET RISK

We are exposed to market risk during the normal course of business from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. 
We manage exposure to these risks through a combination of normal operating and financing activities as well as derivative financial 
instruments in the form of foreign currency forward exchange contracts. We sometimes use interest rate swap contracts to manage 
the balance of fixed and floating rate debt.

32

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

transaction gains or losses associated with some of these assets 
and liabilities. For such assets and liabilities without offsetting 
foreign  currency  forward  exchange  contracts,  a  10  percent 
adverse change in the underlying foreign currency exchange rates 
would reduce our pre-tax income by approximately $10.1 million.

We  record  all  derivatives  on  the  balance  sheet  at  fair  value 
regardless of the purpose for holding them. The use of foreign 
currency  forward  exchange  contracts  allows  us  to  manage 
transactional exposure to exchange rate fluctuations as the 
gains or losses incurred on these contracts will offset, in whole 
or in part, losses or gains on the underlying foreign currency 
exposure.  Derivatives  that  are  not  designated  as  hedges  for 
accounting purposes are adjusted to fair value through earnings. 
For derivatives that are hedges, depending on the nature of the 
hedge, changes in fair value are either offset by changes in the 
fair value of the hedged assets, liabilities or firm commitments 
through earnings or recognized in other comprehensive loss 
until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. We recognize the 
ineffective portion of a derivative’s change in fair value in earnings 
immediately. There was no impact on earnings due to ineffective 
hedges in 2020, 2019 or 2018. A hypothetical 10 percent adverse 
change in underlying foreign currency exchange rates associated 
with the hedged exposures and related contracts would not be 
significant to our financial condition or results of operations.

We had outstanding fixed rate long-term and current portion of 
long-term debt obligations with a carrying value of $1,974.7 million 
at September 30, 2020 and $2,256.9 million at September 30, 2019. 
The fair value of this debt was approximately $2,497.7 million 
at September 30, 2020 and $2,680.9 million at September 30, 
2019. The potential increase in fair value on such fixed-rate debt 
obligations from a hypothetical 50 basis point decrease in market 
interest rates would not be significant to our results of operations 
or financial condition. We currently have no plans to repurchase 
our outstanding fixed-rate instruments before their maturity and, 
therefore, fluctuations in market interest rates would not have an 
effect on our results of operations or shareowners’ equity.

FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK

We are exposed to foreign currency risks that arise from normal 
business operations. These risks include the translation of local 
currency balances of foreign subsidiaries, transaction  gains 
and  losses  associated  with  intercompany  loans  with  foreign 
subsidiaries and transactions denominated in currencies other 
than a location’s functional currency. Our objective is to minimize 
our exposure to these risks through a combination of normal 
operating activities and the use of foreign currency forward 
exchange  contracts.  Contracts  are  usually  denominated  in 
currencies of major industrial countries. The fair value of our 
foreign  currency  forward  exchange  contracts  is  an  asset  of 
$14.0 million and a liability of $27.5 million at September 30, 2020. 
We enter into these contracts with major financial institutions that 
we believe to be creditworthy.

We  do  not  enter  into  derivative  financial  instruments  for 
speculative purposes. In 2020 and 2019, the relative strengthening 
of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies had an unfavorable 
impact  on  our  sales  and  results  of  operations.  While  future 
changes in foreign currency exchange rates are difficult to predict, 
our sales and profitability may be adversely affected if the U.S. 
dollar strengthens relative to 2020 levels.

Certain of our locations have assets and liabilities denominated 
in currencies other than their functional currencies. We enter 
into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to offset the 

INTEREST RATE RISK

In addition to existing cash balances and cash provided by normal 
operating activities, we use a combination of short-term and 
long-term debt to finance operations. We are exposed to interest 
rate risk on certain of these debt obligations.

Our short-term debt as of September 30, 2020, primarily consisted 
of $23.5 million of interest-bearing loans from Schlumberger to 
Sensia due September 30, 2021. The potential increase in fair value 
on such fixed-rate debt obligations from a hypothetical 50 basis 
point decrease in market interest rates would not be significant 
to our results of operations or financial condition. There were no 
commercial paper borrowings outstanding as of September 30, 
2020 and 2019. We have issued, and anticipate continuing to issue, 
short-term commercial paper obligations as needed. Changes in 
market interest rates on commercial paper borrowings affect our 
results of operations.

33

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

ASSETS

Current assets: 

Cash and cash equivalents

Receivables

Inventories

Other current assets

Total current assets

Property, net of accumulated depreciation

Operating lease right-of-use assets

Goodwill

Other intangible assets, net

Deferred income taxes

Long-term investments

Other assets

TOTAL

LIABILITIES AND SHAREOWNERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Short-term debt

Current portion of long-term debt

Accounts payable

Compensation and benefits

Contract liabilities

Customer returns, rebates and incentives

Other current liabilities

Total current liabilities

Long-term debt

Retirement benefits

Operating lease liabilities

Other liabilities

Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 17) 

Shareowners’ equity:

Common stock ($1.00 par value, shares issued: 181.4)

Additional paid-in capital

Retained earnings

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

Common stock in treasury, at cost (shares held: 2020, 65.2; 2019, 65.7)

Shareowners’ equity attributable to Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Noncontrolling interests

Total shareowners’ equity

TOTAL
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

34

September 30,

2020

2019

$

704.6

$

1,249.1

584.0

148.1

2,685.8

574.4

342.9

1,650.3

479.3

415.6

953.5

162.9

1,018.4

1,178.7

575.7

212.9

2,985.7

571.9

—

1,071.1

194.1

364.1

793.9

132.2

$

7,264.7

$

6,113.0

$

24.6

$

—

687.8

197.0

325.3

199.6

376.5

1,810.8

1,974.7

1,284.0

274.7

573.7

181.4

1,830.7

7,139.8

(1,614.2)

(6,509.9)

1,027.8

319.0

1,346.8

$

7,264.7

$

—

300.5

694.6

239.0

275.6

199.2

227.9

1,936.8

1,956.4

1,231.9

—

583.7

181.4

1,709.1

6,440.2

(1,488.0)

(6,438.5)

404.2

—

404.2

6,113.0

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTCONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

Sales

Products and solutions

Services

Cost of sales

Products and solutions

Services

Gross profit

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Change in fair value of investments

Other (expense) income (Note 15)

Interest expense

Income before income taxes

Income tax provision (Note 16)

NET INCOME

Net (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, INC.

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

Weighted average outstanding shares:

Basic

Diluted

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

PART II
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019 

2018

$

5,663.6

$

5,938.5

$

5,930.5

666.2

6,329.8

756.3

6,694.8

(3,305.9)

(3,313.6)

(428.7)

(3,734.6)

2,595.2

(1,479.8)

153.9

(29.7)

(103.5)

1,136.1

(112.9)

1,023.2

(0.2)

(481.1)

(3,794.7)

2,900.1

(1,538.5)

(368.5)

6.1

(98.2)

901.0

(205.2)

695.8

—

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,023.4

$

695.8

8.83

8.77

$

$

115.8

116.6

5.88

5.83

118.3

119.3

735.5

6,666.0

(3,327.5)

(453.6)

(3,781.1)

2,884.9

(1,587.9)

90.0

16.8

(73.0)

1,330.8

(795.3)

535.5

—

535.5

4.27

4.21

125.4

126.9

35

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(IN MILLIONS)

Net income

Other comprehensive (loss) income:

Pension and other postretirement benefit plan adjustments  
(net of tax (expense) benefit of ($3.4), $150.0, and ($87.2))

Currency translation adjustments

Net change in cash flow hedges (net of tax benefit (expense) of $6.6, $5.5, and ($6.6))

Net change in available-for-sale investments

Other comprehensive (loss) income

Comprehensive income

Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, INC.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019 

$

1,023.2

$

695.8

$

2018

535.5

9.3

(475.6)

268.9

25.7

(18.5)

—

16.5

(55.3)

(17.4)

2.2

(546.1)

$

$

1,039.7

$

149.7

(0.5)

—

1,040.2

$

149.7

$

$

(48.3)

18.8

(2.1)

237.3

772.8

—

772.8

36

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTCONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
(IN MILLIONS)
Continuing operations:
Operating activities:
Net income
Adjustments to arrive at cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation
Amortization of intangible assets
Change in fair value of investments
Share-based compensation expense
Retirement benefit expense
Pension contributions
Deferred income taxes
Net (gain) loss on disposition of property
Settlement of interest rate derivatives
Changes in assets and liabilities, excluding effects of acquisitions and foreign 
currency adjustments:

Receivables
Inventories
Accounts payable
Contract liabilities
Compensation and benefits
Income taxes
Other assets and liabilities

Cash provided by operating activities

Investing activities:
Capital expenditures
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired
Purchases of investments
Proceeds from maturities of investments
Proceeds from sale of investments
Proceeds from sale of property
Other investing activities

Cash (used for) provided by investing activities

Financing activities:
Net (repayment) issuance of short-term debt
Issuance of short-term debt, net of issuance costs
Issuance of long-term debt, net of discount and issuance costs
Repayment of short-term debt
Repayment of long-term debt
Cash dividends
Purchases of treasury stock
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options
Other financing activities

Cash used for financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
(Decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of year
Components of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
  Cash and cash equivalents
  Restricted cash, noncurrent (Other assets)

TOTAL CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

PART II
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

$

1,023.2 $

695.8 $

535.5

122.5
50.2
(153.9 )
46.1
129.5
(84.1 )
(65.7 )
(12.4 )
22.0

(9.0 )
30.4
(5.0 )
43.3
(44.6 )
(11.8 )
39.8
1,120.5

(113.9 )
(550.9 )
(10.7 )
6.0
37.9
14.9
(1.3 )
(618.0 )

126.2
26.0
368.5
43.1
70.7
(30.9 )
(29.0 )
1.8
(35.7 )

(10.4 )
(4.9 )
14.5
12.1
(45.2 )
(18.8 )
(1.8 )
1,182.0

(132.8 )
(20.7 )
(5.1 )
312.8
66.3
4.5
—
225.0

—
423.6
—
(400.0 )
(300.7 )
(472.8 )
(264.2 )
214.4
0.8
(798.9 )
8.4
(288.0 )
1,018.4
730.4 $

(551.0 )
—
987.6
—
—
(459.8 )
(1,009.0 )
47.4
(1.1 )
(985.9 )
(21.5 )
399.6
618.8
1,018.4 $

136.4
28.2
(90.0)
38.5
114.0
(50.3)
170.5
2.5
—

(91.7)
(37.4)
67.2
12.9
22.4
426.7
14.6
1,300.0

(125.5)
(9.9)
(1,296.9)
1,106.1
155.3
0.5
—
(170.4)

200.6
—
—
—
(250.0)
(440.8)
(1,482.3)
81.8
1.8
(1,888.9)
(32.8)
(792.1)
1,410.9
618.8

704.6
25.8

1,018.4
—

730.4 $

1,018.4 $

618.8
—

618.8

37

$

$

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREOWNERS’ EQUITY

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

Common 
stock

Additional 
paid-in 
capital

Retained 
earnings

Accumulated 
other 
comprehensive 
loss

Common 
stock in 
treasury, at
cost

Total 
attributable 
to Rockwell 
Automation, 
Inc.

Noncontrolling 
interests

Total 
shareowners’ 
equity

Balance at September 30, 2017 $ 181.4 $ 1,638.0 $ 6,103.4 $

(1,179.2) $ (4,080.0) $

2,663.6

$

— $

2,663.6

Net income

Other comprehensive 
income (loss)
Common stock issued 
(including share-based 
compensation impact)

Share Repurchases

Cash dividends declared(1)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

43.4

—

—

535.5

—

—

—

(440.8)

—

237.3

—

—

—

—

—

535.5

237.3

79.0

122.4

(1,500.5)

(1,500.5)

—

(440.8)

—

—

—

—

—

Balance at September 30, 2018 $ 181.4 $ 1,681.4 $ 6,198.1 $

(941.9) $ (5,501.5) $

1,617.5

$

— $

Net income

Other comprehensive 
income (loss)
Common stock issued 
(including share based 
compensation impact)

Share Repurchases

Cash dividends declared(1)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

27.7

—

—

695.8

—

—

—

(459.8)

Adoption of accounting 
standard
Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 181.4 $ 1,709.1 $ 6,440.2 $

6.1

—

—

Net income

Other comprehensive 
income (loss)
Common stock issued 
(including share based 
compensation impact)

Share Repurchases

Cash dividends declared(1)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

77.0

—

—

1,023.4

—

—

—

(472.8)

Adoption of accounting 
standard
Change in noncontrolling 
interest
Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 181.4 $ 1,830.7 $ 7,139.8 $

149.0

44.6

—

—

(546.1)

—

—

695.8

(546.1)

—

—

—

—

63.0

90.7

(1,000.0)

—

—

(1,000.0)

(459.8)

6.1

—

—

—

—

—

—

(1,488.0) $ (6,438.5) $

404.2

$

— $

404.2

—

16.8

—

—

—

(146.8)

3.8

—

—

1,023.4

16.8

(0.2)

(0.3)

1,023.2

16.5

183.5

260.5

(254.9)

—

—

(254.9)

(472.8)

2.2

48.4

—

—

—

—

260.5

(254.9)

(472.8)

2.2

319.5

367.9

(1,614.2) $ (6,509.9) $

1,027.8

$

319.0

$

1,346.8

535.5

237.3

122.4

(1,500.5)

(440.8)

1,617.5

695.8

(546.1)

90.7

(1,000.0)

(459.8)

6.1

(1)  Cash dividends were $4.08 per share in 2020; $3.88 per share in 2019; and $3.51 per share in 2018.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

38

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTpart ii 

ItEM 8.  Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

Part II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

nOteS tO cOnSOlidated Financial StatementS

NOtE 1.  BaSiS OF preSentatiOn and accOuntinG pOlicieS

rockwell  automation,  inc.  (“rockwell  automation”  or  “the 
company”) is a global leader in industrial automation and digital 
transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with 
the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, 
making the world more productive and more sustainable.

BaSIS OF PrESENtatION

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance 
with accounting principles generally accepted in the united States 
(u.S. Gaap).

PrINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDatION

the accompanying consolidated financial statements include the 
accounts of the company and its wholly-owned and controlled 
majority-owned  subsidiaries.  intercompany  accounts  and 
transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. investments 
in  affiliates  over  which  we  do  not  have  control  but  exercise 
significant influence are accounted for using the equity method 
of  accounting.  these  affiliated  companies  are  not  material 
individually or in the aggregate to our financial position, results 
of operations or cash flows.

USE OF EStIMatES

the preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance 
with u.S. Gaap requires us to make estimates and assumptions 
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the 
date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and 
expenses during the periods reported. actual results could differ 
from those estimates. We use estimates in accounting for, among 
other items, customer returns, rebates and incentives; allowance 
for doubtful accounts; excess and obsolete inventory; share-based 
compensation; acquisitions, including consolidation and intangible 
assets;  goodwill  impairment;  product  warranty  obligations; 
retirement benefits; litigation, claims and contingencies, including 
environmental matters, conditional asset retirement obligations 
and contractual indemnifications; leases; and income taxes. We 
account for changes to estimates and assumptions prospectively 
when warranted by factually-based experience.

rEVENUE rECOGNItION

On October 1, 2018, we adopted the new standard on revenue 
from contracts with customers using the modified retrospective 
method  applied  to  contracts  that  were  not  completed  as  of 
October 1, 2018. results for reporting periods beginning after 
October 1, 2018 are presented under the new standard, while 
prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be 
reported in accordance with the previous standard. See note 2 for 
our revenue recognition policy under the new standard. Our policy 
under the previous standard was as follows:

We recognize revenue when it is realized or realizable and earned. 
product and solution sales consist of industrial automation and 
information solutions; hardware and software products; and 
custom-engineered systems. Service sales include multi-vendor 
customer technical support and repair, asset management and 
optimization consulting and training. all service sales recorded 
in the consolidated Statement of Operations are associated with 
our control products & Solutions segment.

For approximately 85 percent of our consolidated sales, we record 
sales when all of the following have occurred: persuasive evidence 
of a sales agreement exists; pricing is fixed or determinable; 
collection is reasonably assured; and hardware and software 
products have been delivered and acceptance has occurred, as 
may be required according to contract terms, or services have 
been rendered. Within this category, we will at times enter into 
arrangements that involve the delivery of multiple hardware and 
software products and/or the performance of services, such as 
installation and commissioning. the timing of delivery, though 
varied based upon the nature of the undelivered component or 
service, is generally short-term in nature. For these arrangements, 
revenue is allocated to each deliverable based on that element’s 
relative selling price, provided the delivered element has value to 
customers on a standalone basis and, if the arrangement includes 
a general right of return, delivery or performance of the undelivered 
items is probable and substantially in our control. relative selling 
price is obtained from sources such as vendor-specific objective 
evidence, which is based on our separate selling price for that or a 
similar item, or from third-party evidence such as how competitors 
have priced similar items. if such evidence is not available, we 
use our best estimate of the selling price, which includes various 
internal factors such as our pricing strategy and market factors.

We  recognize  substantially  all  of  the  remainder  of  our 
sales  as  construction-type  contracts  using  either  the 
percentage-of-completion or completed contract methods of 
accounting. We record sales relating to these contracts using 
the percentage-of-completion method when we determine that 
progress toward completion is reasonably and reliably estimable; 
we use the completed contract method for all others. under the 
percentage-of-completion method, we recognize sales and gross 
profit as work is performed using the relationship between actual 
costs incurred and total estimated costs at completion. under 
the percentage-of-completion method, we adjust sales and gross 
profit for revisions of estimated total contract costs or revenue in 
the period the change is identified. We record estimated losses 
on contracts when they are identified.

We use contracts and customer purchase orders to determine 
the existence of a sales agreement. We use shipping documents 
and customer acceptance, when applicable, to verify delivery. 
We assess whether the fee is fixed or determinable based on 
the payment terms associated with the transaction and whether 
the sales price is subject to refund or adjustment. We assess 

39

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

collectibility based on the creditworthiness of the customer as 
determined by credit evaluations and analysis, as well as the 
customer’s payment history.

Shipping and handling costs billed to customers are included in 
sales and the related costs are included in cost of sales in the 
consolidated Statement of Operations.

rEtUrNS, rEBatES aND INCENtIVES

Our primary incentive program provides distributors with cash 
rebates or account credits based on agreed amounts that vary 
depending on the customer to whom our distributor ultimately 
sells the product. We also offer various other incentive programs 
that provide distributors and direct sale customers with cash 
rebates, account credits or additional hardware and software 
products, solutions and services based on meeting specified 
program criteria. certain distributors are offered a right to return 
product, subject to contractual limitations.

We record accruals for customer returns, rebates and incentives 
at the time of revenue recognition based primarily on historical 
experience. returns are presented on the consolidated Balance 
Sheet as a right of return asset and refund liability. incentives in 
the form of rebates are estimated at the individual customer level 
and are recorded as a reduction of sales. customer incentives for 
additional hardware and software products, solutions and services 
to be provided are considered distinct performance obligations. 
as such, we allocate revenue to them based on relative standalone 
selling price. until the incentive is redeemed, the revenue is 
recorded as a contract liability.

taXES ON rEVENUE PrODUCING traNSaCtIONS

taxes assessed by governmental authorities on revenue producing 
transactions, including sales, value added, excise and use taxes, 
are recorded on a net basis (excluded from revenue).

CaSH aND CaSH EQUIVaLENtS

cash and cash equivalents include time deposits, certificates of 
deposit, and other fixed income securities with original maturities 
of three months or less at the time of purchase.

rECEIVaBLES

We  record  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  based  on 
customer-specific analysis and general matters such as current 
assessments of past due balances and economic conditions. 
receivables  are  recorded  net  of  an  allowance  for  doubtful 
accounts of $15.2 million at September 30, 2020 and $17.4 million 
at September 30, 2019. in addition, receivables are recorded 
net of an allowance for certain customer returns, rebates and 
incentives of $8.1 million at September 30, 2020 and $12.4 million 
at September 30, 2019.

INVENtOrIES

inventories are recorded at the lower of cost or market using 
the first-in, first-out (FiFO) or average cost methods. market is 
determined on the basis of estimated realizable values.

INVEStMENtS

investments  include  time  deposits,  certificates  of  deposit, 
other fixed income securities and equity securities. investments 
with original maturities longer than three months at the time of 
purchase and less than one year from period end are classified 
as short-term. all other investments are classified as long-term. 
Fixed income securities meeting the definition of a security are 
accounted for as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value. 
equity securities are recorded at fair value. all other investments 
are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value.

PrOPErtY

property, including internal-use software, is recorded at cost. We 
calculate depreciation of property using the straight-line method 
over 5 to 40 years for buildings and improvements, 3 to 20 years for 
machinery and equipment and 3 to 10 years for computer hardware 
and internal-use software. We capitalize significant renewals 
and enhancements and write off replaced units. We expense 
maintenance and repairs, as well as renewals of minor amounts. 
property acquired during the year that is accrued within accounts 
payable or other current liabilities at year end is considered to be 
a non-cash investing activity and is excluded from cash used for 
capital expenditures in the consolidated Statement of cash Flows. 
capital expenditures of $27.2 million, $26.4 million and $43.2 
million were accrued within accounts payable and other current 
liabilities at September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

GOODWILL aND OtHEr INtaNGIBLE aSSEtS

Goodwill and other intangible assets generally result from business 
acquisitions. We account for business acquisitions by allocating 
the purchase price to tangible and intangible assets acquired and 
liabilities assumed at their fair values; the excess of the purchase 
price over the allocated amount is recorded as goodwill.

We perform our annual evaluation of goodwill and indefinite life 
intangible assets for impairment as required by u.S. Gaap during 
the second quarter of each year, or more frequently if events or 
circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce 
the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. any 
excess in carrying value over the estimated fair value is charged 
to results of operations. For our annual evaluation of goodwill, we 
may perform a qualitative test to determine whether it is more 
likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its 
carrying amount in order to determine whether it is necessary to 
perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. When performing 
the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we determine the fair 
value of each reporting unit under a combination of an income 
approach  derived  from  discounted  cash  flows  and  a  market 
multiples approach using selected comparable public companies. 
Significant assumptions used in the income approach include: 
management’s forecasted cash flows, including estimated future 
revenue growth rates and margins, discount rate, and terminal 
value. Forecasted future revenue growth and margins are based on 
management’s best estimate about current and future conditions. 
discount rates are determined using weighted average cost of 
capital adjusted for risk factors specific to the reporting unit 
level, with comparison to market and industry data. the terminal 

40

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

value is estimated following common methodology of calculating 
the present value of estimated perpetual cash flow beyond the 
last projected period assuming constant discount and long-term 
growth  rates.  Significant  assumptions  used  in  the  market 
multiples approach include selection of the comparable public 
companies and calculation of the appropriate market multiples.

We amortize certain customer relationships on an accelerated 
basis over the period of which we expect the intangible asset 
to generate future cash flows. We amortize all other intangible 
assets with finite useful lives on a straight-line basis over 
their  estimated  useful  lives.  useful  lives  assigned  range 
from 3 to 15 years for trademarks, 8 to 20 years for customer 
relationships, 2 to 17 years for technology and 5 to 30 years for 
other intangible assets.

intangible assets also include costs of software developed or 
purchased by our software business to be sold, leased or otherwise 
marketed. amortization of these computer software products is 
calculated on a product-by-product basis as the greater of (a) the 
unamortized cost at the beginning of the year times the ratio of 
the current year gross revenue for a product to the total of the 
current and anticipated future gross revenue for that product or 
(b) the straight-line amortization over the remaining estimated 
economic life of the product.

IMPaIrMENt OF LONG-LIVED aSSEtS

We  evaluate  the  recoverability  of  the  recorded  amount  of 
long-lived assets, including property, operating lease right-of-use 
assets, and other intangible assets, whenever events or changes 
in circumstances indicate that the recorded amount of an asset 
may not be fully recoverable. impairment is assessed when the 
undiscounted expected future cash flows derived from an asset 
are less than its carrying amount. if we determine that an asset 
is impaired, we measure the impairment to be recognized as the 
amount by which the recorded amount of the asset exceeds its 
fair value. We report assets to be disposed of at the lower of the 
recorded amount or fair value less cost to sell. We determine fair 
value using a discounted future cash flow analysis.

DErIVatIVE FINaNCIaL INStrUMENtS

We use derivative financial instruments in the form of foreign 
currency  forward  exchange  contracts  to  manage  certain 
foreign currency risks. We enter into these contracts to hedge 
our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate variability in 
the expected future cash flows associated with certain third-
party and intercompany transactions denominated in foreign 
currencies forecasted to occur within the next two years. We also 
use these contracts to hedge portions of our net investments in 
certain non-u.S. subsidiaries against the effect of exchange rate 
fluctuations on the translation of foreign currency balances to the 
u.S. dollar. additionally, we use derivative financial instruments in 
the form of interest rate swap contracts to manage our borrowing 
costs of certain long-term debt and use treasury locks to manage 
our potential change in interest rates in anticipation of our fixed 
rate debt. We designate and account for these derivative financial 
instruments as hedges under u.S. Gaap.

Furthermore, we use foreign currency forward exchange contracts 
that are not designated as hedges to offset transaction gains 
or  losses  associated  with  some  of  our  assets  and  liabilities 
resulting from intercompany loans or other transactions with 
third parties that are denominated in currencies other than our 
entities’ functional currencies. it is our policy to execute such 
instruments with global financial institutions that we believe 
to  be  creditworthy  and  not  to  enter  into  derivative  financial 
instruments for speculative purposes. Foreign currency forward 
exchange contracts are usually denominated in currencies of 
major industrial countries.

FaIr VaLUE OF FINaNCIaL INStrUMENtS

We record various financial instruments at fair value. u.S. Gaap 
defines fair value as the price that would be received for an asset 
or paid to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction 
between market participants in the principal or most advantageous 
market for the asset or liability. u.S. Gaap also classifies the inputs 
used to measure fair value into the following hierarchy:

level 1:

level 2:

Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets 
or liabilities.

Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or 
liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets 
or liabilities in markets that are not active, or inputs 
other than quoted prices that are observable for the 
asset or liability.

level 3:

unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

We hold financial instruments consisting of cash and short-term 
debt. the fair values of our cash and short-term debt approximate 
their carrying amounts as reported in our consolidated Balance 
Sheet due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

We also hold financial instruments consisting of long-term debt, 
investments and derivatives. the valuation methodologies for 
these financial instruments are described in notes 7, 10, 11, and 
14. the methods described in these notes may produce a fair 
value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable 
value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while we 
believe our valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with 
other market participants, the use of different methodologies 
or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial 
instruments could result in a different fair value measurement 
at the reporting date.

FOrEIGN CUrrENCY traNSLatION

We  translate  assets  and  liabilities  of  subsidiaries  operating 
outside of the united States with a functional currency other than 
the u.S. dollar into u.S. dollars using exchange rates at the end of 
the respective period. We translate sales, costs and expenses at 
average exchange rates effective during the respective period. We 
report foreign currency translation adjustments as a component 
of other comprehensive income (loss). currency transaction gains 
and losses are included in results of operations in the period 
incurred.

41

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

rESEarCH aND DEVELOPMENt EXPENSES

We expense research and development (r&d) costs as incurred; 
these costs were $371.5 million in 2020, $378.9 million in 2019 and 
$371.8 million in 2018. We include r&d expenses in cost of sales in 
the consolidated Statement of Operations.

INCOME taXES

We account for uncertain tax positions by determining whether 
it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon 
examination based on the technical merits of the position. For tax 
positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, 
we determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the consolidated 
financial statements based on our assertion of the most likely 
outcome resulting from an examination, including the resolution 
of any related appeals or litigation processes.

EarNINGS PEr SHarE

We present basic and diluted earnings per share (epS) amounts. 
Basic epS is calculated by dividing earnings available to common 
shareowners,  which  is  income  excluding  the  allocation  to 
participating securities, by the weighted average number of 

common shares outstanding during the year, excluding restricted 
stock. diluted epS amounts are based upon the weighted average 
number of common and common-equivalent shares outstanding 
during the year. We use the treasury stock method to calculate 
the effect of outstanding share-based compensation awards, 
which requires us to compute total employee proceeds as the sum 
of the amount the employee must pay upon exercise of the award 
and the amount of unearned share-based compensation costs 
attributed to future services. Share-based compensation awards 
for which the total employee proceeds of the award exceed the 
average market price of the same award over the period have an 
antidilutive effect on epS, and accordingly, we exclude them from 
the calculation. antidilutive share-based compensation awards 
for the years ended September 30, 2020 (1.6 million shares), 2019 
(1.8 million shares) and 2018 (0.9 million shares) were excluded 
from the diluted epS calculation. u.S. Gaap requires unvested 
share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights 
to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, 
to  be  treated  as  participating  securities  and  included  in  the 
computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class 
method. Our participating securities are composed of restricted 
stock and non-employee director restricted stock units.

the following table reconciles basic and diluted epS amounts (in millions, except per share amounts):

net income attributable to rockwell automation

less: allocation to participating securities

NET INCOME AVAILABLE TO COMMON SHAREOWNERS

Basic weighted average outstanding shares

effect of dilutive securities

Stock options

performance shares

DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE OUTSTANDING SHARES

Earnings per share:

Basic

diluted

2020

1,023.4

(1.0)

1,022.4

115.8

$

$

0.7

0.1

116.6

$

$

2019

695.8

(0.7)

695.1

118.3

0.9

0.1

119.3

8.83

8.77

$

$

5.88

5.83

$

$

$

$

$

$

2018

535.5

(0.5)

535.0

125.4

1.3

0.2

126.9

4.27

4.21

SHarE-BaSED COMPENSatION

ENVIrONMENtaL MattErS

We recognize share-based compensation expense for equity 
awards on a straight-line basis over the service period of the award 
based on the fair value of the award as of the grant date.

PrODUCt aND WOrKErS’ COMPENSatION 
LIaBILItIES

We  record  accruals  for  product  and  workers’  compensation 
claims in the period in which they are probable and reasonably 
estimable. Our principal self-insurance programs include product 
liability and workers’ compensation where we self-insure up to 
a specified dollar amount. claims exceeding this amount up to 
specified limits are covered by insurance policies purchased from 
commercial insurers. We estimate the liability for the majority of 
the self-insured claims using our claims experience for the periods 
being valued.

We record liabilities for environmental matters in the period 
in  which  our  responsibility  is  probable  and  the  costs  can  be 
reasonably estimated. We make changes to the liabilities in the 
periods in which the estimated costs of remediation change. at 
third-party environmental sites where more than one potentially 
responsible party has been identified, we record a liability for our 
estimated allocable share of costs related to our involvement 
with the site, as well as an estimated allocable share of costs 
related to the involvement of insolvent or unidentified parties. if 
we determine that recovery from insurers or other third parties 
is probable and a right of setoff exists, we record the liability net 
of the estimated recovery. if we determine that recovery from 
insurers or other third parties is probable but a right of setoff 
does not exist, we record a liability for the total estimated costs 
of remediation and a receivable for the estimated recovery. at 
environmental sites where we are the sole responsible party, we 

42

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

collateralized borrowing rate in the foreign currency is determined 
using the u.S. dollar and foreign currency swap spread. long-term 
lease liabilities are presented as Operating lease liabilities and 
current lease liabilities are included in Other current liabilities in 
the consolidated Balance Sheet.

rOu  assets  are  recognized  at  the  contract  commencement 
date at the value of the related lease liability, adjusted for any 
prepayments, lease incentives received and initial direct costs 
incurred. Operating lease rOu assets are presented as Operating 
lease right-of-use assets in the consolidated Balance Sheet.

lease  expenses,  including  amortization  of  rOu  assets,  for 
operating leases are recognized on a straight-line basis over 
the lease term and recorded in cost of sales and Selling, general 
and administrative expenses in the consolidated Statement of 
Operations.

rECENtLY aDOPtED aCCOUNtING 
PrONOUNCEMENtS

in February 2016, the FaSB issued a new standard on accounting 
for  leases  that  requires  lessees  to  recognize  rOu  assets 
and lease liabilities for most leases, among other changes to 
existing lease accounting guidance. this standard also requires 
additional  qualitative  and  quantitative  disclosures  about 
leasing activities. We adopted this standard using the modified 
retrospective transition method, which resulted in an immaterial 
cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained 
earnings as of October 1, 2019, our adoption date. the amount of 
lease rOu assets and corresponding lease liabilities recorded in 
the consolidated Balance Sheet upon adoption were $316 million 
and $329 million, respectively. We have implemented necessary 
changes to accounting policies, processes, controls and systems 
to enable compliance with this standard.

in February 2018, the FaSB issued a new standard regarding the 
reporting of comprehensive loss, which gives entities the option 
to reclassify tax effects of the tax cuts and Jobs act of 2017 (the 
“tax act”) stranded in accumulated other comprehensive loss into 
retained earnings. We adopted this standard as of October 1, 2019, 
and elected to reclassify tax effects of approximately $147 million 
from accumulated other comprehensive loss into retained earnings.

rECENtLY ISSUED aCCOUNtING 
PrONOUNCEMENtS

We do not expect any recently issued accounting pronouncements 
to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements 
and related disclosures.

record a liability for the total estimated costs of remediation. 
Ongoing operating and maintenance expenditures included in our 
environmental remediation obligations are discounted to present 
value over the probable future remediation period. Our remaining 
environmental remediation obligations are undiscounted due to 
subjectivity of timing and/or amount of future cash payments.

CONDItIONaL aSSEt rEtIrEMENt OBLIGatIONS

We  record  liabilities  for  costs  related  to  legal  obligations 
associated with the retirement of a tangible, long-lived asset that 
results from the acquisition, construction, development or the 
normal operation of the long-lived asset. the obligation to perform 
the asset retirement activity is not conditional even though the 
timing or method may be conditional.

LEaSES

We have operating leases primarily for real estate, vehicles, and 
equipment. We determine if a contract is, or contains, a lease at 
contract inception. a right-of-use (rOu) asset and a corresponding 
lease liability are recognized at commencement for contracts 
that are, or contain, a lease with an original term greater than 
12 months. rOu assets represent our right to use an underlying 
asset during the lease term, including periods for which renewal 
options are reasonably certain to be exercised, and lease liabilities 
represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from 
the lease. lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis 
over the lease term for operating leases with an original term of 
12 months or less.

Some  leasing  arrangements  require  variable  payments  that 
are dependent on usage or may vary for other reasons, such as 
payments for insurance and tax payments. a portion of our real 
estate leases is generally subject to annual changes based upon 
an index. the changes based upon the index are treated as variable 
lease payments. the variable portion of lease payments is not 
included in our rOu assets or lease liabilities and is expensed 
when incurred. We elected to not separate lease and nonlease 
components  of  contracts  for  all  underlying  asset  classes. 
accordingly, all expenses associated with a lease contract are 
accounted for as lease expenses.

lease liabilities are recognized at the contract commencement 
date based on the present value of remaining lease payments 
over the lease term. to calculate the lease liabilities we use 
our incremental borrowing rate. We determine our incremental 
borrowing rate at the commencement date using our unsecured 
borrowing rate, adjusted for collateralization and lease term. For 
leases denominated in a currency other than the u.S. dollar, the 

NOtE 2.  reVenue recOGnitiOn

aDOPtION

On October 1, 2018, we adopted the new standard on revenue from contracts with customers using the modified retrospective method 
applied to contracts that were not completed as of October 1, 2018. results for reporting periods beginning after October 1, 2018 are 
presented under the new standard, while prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with 
the previous standard.

43

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

We  recorded  a  net  increase  to  opening  retained  earnings  of 
$6.1 million as of October 1, 2018, which reflects the cumulative 
impact of adopting the new standard. the primary drivers of the 
impact to retained earnings were changes to the capitalization and 
deferral of certain contract costs and the timing of revenue, net 
of costs, for software licenses bundled with services and projects 
previously accounted for on a completed contract basis. this 
impact was partially offset by a deferral of revenue, net of costs, 
related to the allocation of revenue to hardware and software 
products and services provided to our customers free of charge 
as incentives.

NatUrE OF PrODUCtS aND SErVICES

Substantially all of our revenue is from contracts with customers. 
We recognize revenue as promised products are transferred to, or 
services are performed for, customers in an amount that reflects 
the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange 
for those products and services. Our offerings consist of industrial 
automation and information products, solutions and services. Our 
products include hardware and software. Our solutions include 
engineered-to-order  and  custom-engineered  systems.  Our 
services include customer technical support and repair, asset 
management and optimization consulting, and training. also 
included in our services is a portion of revenue related to spare 
parts that are managed within our services offering.

Our operations are comprised of the architecture & Software 
segment  and  the  control  products  &  Solutions  segment. 
See note 19 for more information.

in  north  america,  we  sell  primarily  through  independent 
distributors in conjunction with our direct sales force. in other 
countries, we sell through a combination of our direct sales force, 
and to a lesser extent, through independent distributors.

PErFOrMaNCE OBLIGatIONS

We  use  executed  sales  agreements  and  purchase  orders  to 
determine the existence of a customer contract.

For each customer contract, we determine if the products and 
services promised to the customer are distinct performance 
obligations. a product or service is distinct if both of the following 
criteria are met at contract inception: (i) the customer can benefit 
from the product or service on its own or together with other 
readily available resources, and (ii) our promise to transfer the 
product or perform the service is separately identifiable from 
other promises in the contract. the fact that we regularly sell a 
product or service separately is an indicator that the customer can 
benefit from a product or service on its own or with other readily 
available resources.

the objective when assessing whether our promises to transfer 
products or perform services are distinct within the context of 
the contract is to determine whether the nature of the promise 
is to transfer each of those products or perform those services 
individually, or whether the promise is to transfer a combined item 
or items to which the promised products or services are inputs. 
if a promised product or service is not distinct, we combine that 
product or service with other promised products or services until 

it comprises a bundle of products or services that is distinct, 
which may result in accounting for all the products or services in 
a contract as a single performance obligation.

For each performance obligation in a contract, we determine 
whether the performance obligation is satisfied over time. a 
performance obligation is satisfied over time if it meets any of 
the following criteria: (i) the customer simultaneously receives 
and consumes the benefits provided by our performance as we 
perform, (ii) our performance creates or enhances an asset that 
the customer controls as the asset is created or enhanced, or 
(iii) our performance does not create an asset for which we have 
an alternative use and we have an enforceable right to payment for 
performance completed to date. if one or more of these criteria 
are met, then we recognize revenue over time using a method that 
depicts performance. if none of the criteria are met, then control 
transfers to the customer at a point in time and we recognize 
revenue at that point in time.

Our products represent standard, catalog products for which 
we have an alternative use, and therefore we recognize revenue 
at a point in time when control of the product transfers to the 
customer. For the majority of our products, control transfers upon 
shipment, though for some contracts control may transfer upon 
delivery. Our product revenue also includes revenue from software 
licenses. When these licenses are determined to be distinct 
performance obligations, we recognize the related revenue at a 
point in time when the customer is provided the right to use the 
license. product-type contracts are generally one year or less in 
length.

We offer a wide variety of solutions and services to our customers, 
for which we recognize revenue over time or at a point in time 
based on the contract as well as the type of solution or service. 
if one or more of the three criteria above for over-time revenue 
recognition are met, we recognize revenue over time as cost 
is incurred, as work is performed, or based on time elapsed, 
depending on the type of customer contract. if none of these 
criteria are met, we recognize revenue at a point in time when 
control of the asset being created or enhanced transfers to the 
customer, typically upon delivery. more than half of our solutions 
and services revenue is from contracts that are one year or less in 
length. For certain solutions and services offerings, when we have 
the right to invoice our customers in an amount that corresponds 
to our performance completed to date, we apply the practical 
expedient to measure progress and recognize revenue based on 
the amount for which we have the right to invoice the customer.

When assessing whether we have an alternative use for an asset, 
we consider both contractual and practical limitations. these 
include: (i) the level and cost of customization of the asset that is 
required to meet a customer’s needs, (ii) the activities, cost, and 
profit margin after any rework that would be required before the 
asset could be directed for another use, and (iii) the portion of the 
asset that could not be reworked for an alternative use.

at times we provide products and services free of charge to our 
customers as incentives when the customers purchase other 
products or services. these represent distinct performance 
obligations. as such, we allocate revenue to them based on relative 
standalone selling price.

44

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

most of our global warranties are assurance in nature and do 
not represent distinct performance obligations. See note 9 for 
additional information and disclosures. We occasionally offer 
extended warranties to our customers that are considered a 
distinct performance obligation, to which we allocate revenue 
which is recognized over the extended warranty period.

We account for shipping and handling activities performed after 
control of a product has been transferred to the customer as a 
fulfillment cost. as such, we have applied the practical expedient 
and we accrue for the costs of shipping and handling activities if 
revenue is recognized before contractually agreed shipping and 
handling activities occur.

UNFULFILLED PErFOrMaNCE OBLIGatIONS

as of September 30, 2020, we expect to recognize approximately 
$540  million  of  revenue  in  future  periods  from  unfulfilled 
performance obligations from existing contracts with customers. 
We expect to recognize revenue of approximately $280 million of 
our remaining performance obligations over the next 12 months 
with the remaining balance recognized thereafter.

We have applied the practical expedient to exclude the value of 
remaining performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original 
term of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which we recognize 
revenue in proportion to the amount we have the right to invoice 
for services performed. the amounts above also do not include 
the impact of contract renewal options that are unexercised as 
of September 30, 2020.

traNSaCtION PrICE

the transaction price is the amount of consideration to which we 
expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring products to, or 
performing services for, a customer. We estimate the transaction 
price  at  contract  inception,  and  update  the  estimate  each 
reporting period for any changes in circumstances. in some cases 
a contract may involve variable consideration, including rebates, 
credits, allowances for returns or other similar items that generally 
decrease the transaction price. We use historical experience to 
estimate variable consideration, including any constraint.

the  transaction  price  (including  any  discounts  and  variable 
consideration)  is  allocated  between  separate  products  and 
services based on their relative standalone selling prices. the 
standalone selling prices are determined based on the prices at 
which we separately sell each good or service. For items that are 
not sold separately, we estimate the standalone selling price using 
available information such as market reference points and other 
observable data.

We have elected the practical expedient to exclude sales taxes 
and other similar taxes from the measurement of the transaction 
price.

SIGNIFICaNt PaYMENt tErMS

Our standard payment terms vary globally but do not result in 
a significant delay between the timing of invoice and payment. 
We  occasionally  negotiate  other  payment  terms  during  the 
contracting  process.  We  do  not  typically  include  significant 
financing components in our contracts with customers. We have 
elected the practical expedient to not adjust the transaction price 
for the period between transfer of products or performance of 
services and customer payment if expected to be one year or less.

For most of our products, we invoice at the time of shipment and 
we do not typically have significant contract balances. For our 
solutions and services as well as some of our products, timing may 
differ between revenue recognition and billing. depending on the 
terms agreed to with the customer, we may invoice in advance of 
performance or we may invoice after performance. When revenue 
recognition exceeds billing we recognize a receivable, and when 
billing exceeds revenue recognition we recognize a contract 
liability.

DISaGGrEGatION OF rEVENUE

the following series of tables present our revenue disaggregation 
by geographic region and types of products or services, and also 
present these disaggregation categories for our two operating 
segments. We attribute sales to the geographic regions based 
on the country of destination.

the following reflects the disaggregation of our revenues by operating segment and by geographic region (in millions):

Year Ended September 30, 2020

Year Ended September 30, 2019

Architecture & 
Software

Control 
Products & 
Solutions

Total

Architecture & 
Software

Control 
Products & 
Solutions

Total

north america

$

1,641.7

$

2,118.5

$

3,760.2

$

1,752.1

$

2,262.2

$

4,014.3

europe, middle east and 
africa (emea)

asia pacific

latin america

606.8

419.7

164.7

642.5

449.0

286.9

1,249.3

868.7

451.6

654.2

426.4

189.2

595.6

482.2

332.9

1,249.8

908.6

522.1

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

2,832.9

$

3,496.9

$

6,329.8

$

3,021.9

$

3,672.9

$

6,694.8

45

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the following reflects the disaggregation of our revenues by operating segment and by major types of products or services (in millions):

Year Ended September 30, 2020

Year Ended September 30, 2019

Architecture & 
Software

Control 
Products & 
Solutions

Total

Architecture & 
Software

Control 
Products & 
Solutions

Total

2,832.9

$

1,407.7

$

4,240.6

$

3,021.9

$

1,469.1

$

4,491.0

—

2,089.2

2,089.2

—

2,203.8

2,203.8

2,832.9

$

3,496.9

$

6,329.8

$

3,021.9

$

3,672.9

$

6,694.8

products

Solutions & Services

TOTAL COMPANY SALES

$

$

CONtraCt BaLaNCES

contract liabilities primarily relate to consideration received in advance of performance under the contract. We do not have significant 
contract assets as of September 30, 2020.

Below is a summary of our contract liabilities balance:

Balance as of beginning of fiscal year

Balance as of end of period

September 30, 2020

September 30, 2019

$

275.6

$

325.3

268.6

275.6

the most significant changes in our contract liabilities balance 
during the twelve months ended September 30, 2020 were due 
to amounts billed, partially offset by revenue recognized that 
was included in the contract liabilities balance at the beginning 
of the period.

in the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, we recognized 
revenue of approximately $216.9 million that was included in the 
opening contract liabilities balance. We did not have a material 
amount  of  revenue  recognized  in  the  twelve  months  ended 
September 30, 2020, from performance obligations satisfied or 
partially satisfied in previous periods.

COStS tO OBtaIN aND FULFILL a CONtraCt

We capitalize and amortize certain incremental costs to obtain 
and fulfill contracts. these costs primarily consist of incentives 
paid to sales personnel, which are considered incremental costs to 
obtain customer contracts. We elected the practical expedient to 
expense incremental costs to obtain a contract when the contract 
has a duration of one year or less. Our capitalized contract costs, 
which are included in other assets in our consolidated Balance 
Sheet,  are  not  significant.  there  was  no  impairment  loss  in 
relation to capitalized costs in the period.

NOtE 3.  GOOdWill and OtHer intanGiBle aSSetS

changes in the carrying amount of goodwill were (in millions):

Balance as of September 30, 2018

$

422.3

$

653.2

$

1,075.5

Architecture &
Software

Control
Products &
Solutions

Total

acquisition of businesses

translation

BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

acquisition of business

translation

14.6

(4.6)

432.3

161.2

15.9

—

(14.4)

638.8

390.7

11.4

14.6

(19.0)

1,071.1

551.9

27.3

BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

$

609.4

$

1,040.9

$

1,650.3

46

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

Other intangible assets consist of (in millions):

amortized intangible assets:

computer software products

customer relationships

technology

trademarks

Other

total amortized intangible assets

allen-Bradley® trademark not subject to amortization

September 30, 2020

Carrying
Amount

Accumulated
Amortization

$

192.7

$

139.0

$

351.3

165.8

71.7

14.4

795.9

43.7

92.5

84.0

31.3

13.5

360.3

—

TOTAL

$

839.6

$

360.3

$

amortized intangible assets:

computer software products

customer relationships

technology

trademarks

Other

total amortized intangible assets

allen-Bradley® trademark not subject to amortization

September 30, 2019

Carrying
Amount

Accumulated
Amortization

$

190.6

$

128.3

$

110.5

110.4

31.4

10.6

453.5

43.7

69.2

69.5

26.4

9.7

303.1

—

TOTAL

$

497.2 $

303.1

$

Net

53.7

258.8

81.8

40.4

0.9

435.6

43.7

479.3

Net

62.3

41.3

40.9

5.0

0.9

150.4

43.7

194.1

computer  software  products  represent  costs  of  computer 
software to be sold, leased or otherwise marketed. computer 
software products amortization expense was $10.2 million in 2020, 
$10.4 million in 2019 and $11.8 million in 2018.

estimated  amortization  expense  is  $53.9  million  in  2021, 
$51.0 million in 2022, $49.7 million in 2023, $46.8 million in 2024 
and $44.6 million in 2025.

For our 2020 annual evaluation, we performed a qualitative test for 
our architecture & Software and our control products & Solutions 
(excluding Sensia) reporting units. We performed a quantitative 
test for our Sensia reporting unit. Based on those evaluations, 
we concluded these assets were not impaired. We also assessed 
the changes in events and circumstances subsequent to our 
annual test, including those related to the cOVid-19 pandemic 
and conditions within the Oil & Gas industry, and concluded that 
a triggering event which would require interim quantitative testing 
has not occurred.

NOtE 4.  acQuiSitiOnS

SENSIa JOINt VENtUrE

On  October  1,  2019,  we  completed  the  formation  of  a  joint 
venture, Sensia, a fully integrated digital oilfield automation 
solutions provider. rockwell automation owns 53% of Sensia and 
Schlumberger owns 47% of Sensia. as part of the transaction, 
we made $247.0 million of net cash payments to Schlumberger, 

which were funded by cash on hand. We control Sensia and, as 
of October 1, 2019, have consolidated Sensia in our financial 
results. as part of the joint venture operations, Sensia regularly 
transacts with Schlumberger, primarily relating to purchases and 
sales of goods and services. these transactions are not material 
to rockwell automation for the year ended September 30, 2020.

47

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

We recorded assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the formation of Sensia based on their estimated fair values as 
of the acquisition date of October 1, 2019. the preliminary purchase price allocation is as follows (in millions):

accounts receivable

inventory

Other current assets

property, plant and equipment

Other assets

Goodwill

intangible assets

total assets acquired

less: liabilities assumed

less: deferred income taxes

less: noncontrolling interest portion

NET ASSETS ACQUIRED

cash, net of cash acquired

noncontrolling interest portion of rockwell automation's contributed business

additional paid in capital adjustment

Other

Purchase  
Price Allocation

$

$

$

31.2

33.2

1.2

9.3

6.2

307.4

254.1

642.6

(18.3)

(2.6)

(293.8)

327.9

Purchase 
Consideration

247.0

25.8

48.1

7.0

TOTAL PURCHASE CONSIDERATION, NET OF CASH ACQUIRED

$

327.9

intangible assets assigned include $254.1 million of customer 
relationships, technology, and trade names (approximately 11-year 
weighted average useful life). We assigned the full amount of 
goodwill and all other assets acquired to our control products 
& Solutions segment. the majority of the goodwill recorded is 
expected to be deductible for tax purposes. the assets were valued 
using an income approach, specifically the relief from royalty 
method and multi-period excess earnings method. the relief from 
royalty method calculates value based on hypothetical payments 
that would be saved by owning an asset rather than licensing it. 
the multi-period excess earnings method is the isolation of cash 
flows from a single intangible asset and measures fair value by 
discounting them to present value. these values are considered 
level 3 measurements under the u.S. Gaap fair value hierarchy. 
Key assumptions used in the valuation of these intangible assets 
included: (1) a discount rate of 11%, (2) the estimated remaining 
life  of  technology  and  trademarks  of  from  5  to  15  years,  and 
(3) the customer attrition rate ranging from 7.5% to 25%.

the fair value of the noncontrolling interest of the contributed 
business upon acquisition was $293.8 million. the consolidated 
value of Sensia at October 1, 2019, was recorded at fair value for 
Schlumberger’s contribution and at carrying value for rockwell 
automation’s contribution.

the total incremental sales resulting from the Sensia joint venture 
included in our consolidated results for the twelve months ended 
September 30, 2020, were approximately $191.0 million.

48

OtHEr aCQUISItIONS

i n   O c to b e r   2 01 9 ,   we   a c q u i r e d   me St e c H   S e r v i c e s 
(meStecH),  a  global  provider  of  manufacturing  execution 
Systems/manufacturing Operations management, digital solutions 
consulting, and systems integration services. We assigned the 
full amount of goodwill related to this acquisition to our control 
products & Solutions segment.

in January 2020, we acquired avnet data Security, ltd (avnet), 
an israel-based cybersecurity provider with over 20 years of 
experience providing cybersecurity services. We assigned the 
full amount of goodwill related to this acquisition to our control 
products & Solutions segment.

in april 2020, we acquired aSem, S.p.a. (aSem), a leading provider 
of digital automation technologies. We assigned the full amount of 
goodwill related to this acquisition to our architecture & Software 
segment.

in april 2020, we also acquired Kalypso, lp (Kalypso), a privately-held 
u.S.-based software delivery and consulting firm specializing in the 
digital transformation of industrial companies with a strong client 
base in life sciences, consumer products and industrial high-tech. 
We assigned the full amount of goodwill related to this acquisition 
to our control products & Solutions segment.

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

We recorded assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with these acquisitions based on their estimated fair values as of 
the respective acquisition dates. the preliminary aggregate purchase price allocation for these acquisitions is as follows (in millions):

accounts receivable

inventory

Other current assets

property, plant and equipment

Other assets

Goodwill

intangible assets

total assets acquired

less: liabilities assumed

less: deferred income taxes

NET ASSETS ACQUIRED

TOTAL PURCHASE CONSIDERATION, NET OF CASH ACQUIRED

Purchase  
Price Allocation

$

33.8

9.6

1.0

5.9

2.2

244.5

76.5

373.5

(28.6)

(14.4)

330.5

Purchase 
Consideration

330.5

$

$

intangible assets assigned include $76.5 million of customer 
relationships,  technology,  and  trade  names  (approximately 
10-year weighted average useful life). We assigned $161.2 million of 
goodwill to our architecture & Software segment and $83.3 million 
of  goodwill  to  our  control  products  &  Solutions  segment. 
approximately $69.0 million of the goodwill recorded is expected 
to be deductible for tax purposes. the purchase consideration 
includes $25.8 million of contingent consideration held in an 
escrow account and recorded in other assets as restricted cash 
in the consolidated Balance Sheet.

the total sales included in our consolidated results from these four 
acquisitions for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, 
were approximately $41.8 million.

the allocation of the purchase price to identifiable assets for all of 
the preceding acquisitions are based on the preliminary valuations 
performed to determine the fair value of the net assets as of the 
acquisition date. the measurement period for the valuation of 

net assets acquired ends as soon as information on the facts and 
circumstances that existed as of the acquisition dates becomes 
available, but not to exceed 12 months following the acquisition 
date. adjustments in purchase price allocations may require a 
change in the amounts allocated to net assets acquired during 
the periods in which the adjustments are determined.

pro forma consolidated sales for the year ended September 30, 
2019, are approximately $7.0 billion, and the impact on earnings 
is not material. the preceding pro forma consolidated financial 
results of operations are as if all of the preceding acquisitions 
occurred  on  October  1,  2018.  the  pro  forma  information  is 
presented for informational purposes only and is not indicative 
of the results of operations that would have been achieved had 
the transaction occurred as of that time.

acquisition-related costs recorded as expenses for all of the 
preceding acquisitions in the year ended September 30, 2020, 
were not material.

NOtE 5. 

inVentOrieS

inventories consist of (in millions):

Finished goods

Work in process

raw materials

INVENTORIES

September 30,

2020

243.0 $

159.1

181.9

584.0 $

2019

223.7

178.4

173.6

575.7

$

$

49

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NOtE 6.  prOperty, net

property consists of (in millions):

land

Buildings and improvements

machinery and equipment

internal-use software

construction in progress

total

less accumulated depreciation

PROPERTY, NET

NOtE 7.  lOnG-term and SHOrt-term deBt

long-term debt consists of (in millions):

2.050% notes, repaid in march 2020

2.875% notes, payable in march 2025

6.70% debentures, payable in January 2028

3.500% notes, payable in march 2029

6.25% debentures, payable in december 2037

4.200% notes, payable in march 2049

5.20% debentures, payable in January 2098

unamortized discount, capitalized lease obligations and other

total

less current portion

LONG-TERM DEBT

September 30,

2020

$

4.8

$

383.0

1,220.7

506.4

134.4

2,249.3

(1,674.9)

2019

4.1

373.8

1,154.5

489.5

116.0

2,137.9

(1,566.0)

$

574.4 $

571.9

September 30,

2020

$

— $

320.1

250.0

425.0

250.0

575.0

200.0

(45.4)

1,974.7

—

2019

299.4

307.6

250.0

425.0

250.0

575.0

200.0

(50.1)

2,256.9

(300.5)

$

1,974.7

$

1,956.4

Our short-term debt as of September 30, 2020, primarily consisted 
of $23.5 million of interest-bearing loans from Schlumberger to 
Sensia which were originally due September 30, 2020, and are now 
due September 30, 2021. the short-term loans from Schlumberger 
were entered into following formation of Sensia. See note 4 for 
additional information on Sensia.

in april 2020, we entered into a $400.0 million senior unsecured 
364-day term loan credit agreement and were advanced the full 
loan amount. this agreement was in addition to our existing 
$1.25  billion  unsecured  revolving  credit  facility  expiring  in 
november 2023, which remains available and undrawn. interest 
on these borrowings was based on short-term money market rates 
in effect during the period the borrowings were outstanding. We 
repaid the $400.0 million term loan in September 2020.

in February 2015, upon issuance of our notes payable in march 
2020 (“2020 notes”) and march 2025 (“2025 notes”), we entered into 
fixed-to-floating interest rate swap contracts with multiple banks 
that effectively converted the $600.0 million aggregate principal 
amount to floating rate debt, each at a rate based on three-month 
liBOr plus a fixed spread. prior to settlement, the individual 
contracts were recorded in Other assets and Other current liabilities 
in the consolidated Balance Sheet with corresponding adjustments 
to the carrying value of the underlying debt. in march 2020, we 
repaid the 2020 notes which were classified as the current portion 
of long-term debt at September 30, 2019. in may 2020, we settled 
the interest swaps that were designated as a fair value hedge of the 
2025 notes and received $22.0 million from the counterparties. the 
$22.0 million gain on the settlement of the interest rate swaps was 

50

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

recorded as an adjustment to the carrying value of the 2025 notes 
and is being amortized over the remaining term of those notes as 
an adjustment to interest expense in the consolidated Statement 
of Operations. additional information related to our interest rate 
swap contracts is included in note 11.

in march 2019, we issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount 
of long-term notes in a registered public offering. the offering 
consisted of $425.0 million of 3.500% notes due in march 2029 
(“2029 notes”) and $575.0 million of 4.200% notes due in march 
2049 (“2049 notes”), both issued at a discount. net proceeds to 
the company from the debt offering were $987.6 million. We used 
these net proceeds primarily to repay our outstanding commercial 
paper, with the remaining proceeds used for general corporate 
purposes.

We entered into treasury locks to manage the potential change in 
interest rates in anticipation of the issuance of $1.0 billion of fixed 
rate debt in march 2019. treasury locks are accounted for as cash 
flow hedges. the effective differentials paid on these treasury 
locks was initially recorded in accumulated Other comprehensive 
loss, net of tax effect.

as a result of the changes in the interest rates on the treasury 
locks between the time we entered into the treasury locks and 
the time we priced and issued the 2029 notes and 2049 notes, 

the company made a payment of $35.7 million to the counterparty 
on march 1, 2019. the $35.7 million loss on the settlement of the 
treasury locks was recorded in accumulated Other comprehensive 
loss and is being amortized over the term of the 2029 notes and 
2049 notes, and recognized as an adjustment to interest expense 
in the consolidated Statement of Operations.

On november 13, 2018, we replaced our former five-year $1.0 billion 
unsecured revolving credit facility with a new five-year $1.25 billion 
unsecured revolving credit facility expiring in november 2023. We 
can increase the aggregate amount of this credit facility by up to 
$750.0 million, subject to the consent of the banks in the credit 
facility. We did not incur early termination penalties in connection 
with the termination of the former credit facility. We did not borrow 
against either facility during the periods ended September 30, 
2020  or  2019.  Borrowings  under  the  new  credit  facility  bear 
interest based on short-term money market rates in effect during 
the period the borrowings are outstanding. this credit facility 
contains covenants under which we agree to maintain an eBitda-
to-interest ratio of at least 3.0 to 1.0. the eBitda-to-interest 
ratio is defined in the credit facility as the ratio of consolidated 
eBitda (as defined in the facility) for the preceding four quarters 
to consolidated interest expense for the same period.

interest payments were $101.7 million during 2020, $97.5 million 
during 2019 and $75.5 million during 2018.

long-term debt is not recorded at fair value. the following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of long-term 
debt not recorded at fair value in the consolidated Balance Sheet (in millions):

September 30, 2020

September 30, 2019

Carrying Value

Fair Value

Carrying Value

Fair Value

current portion of long-term debt

$

— $

—

$

300.5 $

300.1

long-term debt

1,974.7

2,497.7

1,956.4

2,380.8

We base the fair value of long-term debt upon quoted market 
prices for the same or similar issues and therefore consider this 
a level 2 fair value measurement. the fair value of long-term debt 
considers the terms of the debt excluding the impact of derivative 

and hedging activity. the carrying amount of a portion of our long-
term debt is impacted by fixed-to-floating interest rate swap 
contracts that are designated as fair value hedges. refer to note 
1 for further information regarding levels in the fair value hierarchy.

NOtE 8.  OtHer current liaBilitieS

Other current liabilities consist of (in millions):

unrealized losses on foreign exchange contracts (note 11)

$

24.3

$

September 30,

2020

product warranty obligations (note 9)

taxes other than income taxes

accrued interest

income taxes payable

Operating lease liabilities

Other

OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

2019

5.4

25.2

43.8

15.5

62.9

—

75.1

20.8

58.5

14.9

79.8

89.7

88.5

$

376.5

$

227.9

51

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NOtE 9.  prOduct Warranty OBliGatiOnS

We record a liability for product warranty obligations at the time of sale to a customer based upon historical warranty experience. most 
of our products are covered under a warranty period that runs for twelve months from either the date of sale or installation. We also 
record a liability for specific warranty matters when they become known and reasonably estimable.

changes in product warranty obligations were (in millions):

Beginning balance

Warranties recorded at time of sale

adjustments to pre-existing warranties

Settlements of warranty claims

ENDING BALANCE

NOtE 10.  inVeStmentS

Our investments consist of (in millions):

Fixed income securities

equity securities

Other

total investments

less short-term investments

LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS

September 30,

2020

25.2

$

17.8

(1.6)

(20.6)

20.8

$

$

$

September 30,

2020

$

0.6

$

875.3

78.2

954.1

(0.6)

$

953.5

$

2019

27.9

21.3

(5.6)

(18.4)

25.2

2019

43.9

721.5

68.1

833.5

(39.6)

793.9

We record investments in fixed income and equity securities, classified as available-for-sale investments or trading investments, at 
fair value.

aVaILaBLE-FOr-SaLE INVEStMENtS

We invest in certificates of deposit, time deposits, commercial paper and other fixed income securities which are classified as 
available-for-sale. unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale investments are included in our consolidated Balance Sheet as a 
component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of any deferred taxes. realized gains and losses are included in net income.

Our available-for-sale investments consist of (in millions):

certificates of deposit and time deposits

corporate debt securities

Government securities

asset-backed securities

TOTAL

52

September 30,

2020

0.6

$

—

—

—

0.6

$

2019

0.6

31.8

6.3

5.2

43.9

$

$

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

pre-tax gross realized and unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale investments were not material in 2020 and 2019.

classification of our available-for-sale investments as current or noncurrent is based on the nature of the investment and when the 
investment is reasonably expected to be realized. these investments were included in the following line items within the consolidated 
Balance Sheet (in millions):

Other current assets

long-term investments

TOTAL

EQUItY SECUrItIES

On July 19, 2018, we purchased 10,582,010 shares of ptc inc. 
(“ptc”) common stock (the “ptc Shares”) in a private placement at 
a purchase price of $94.50 per share for an aggregate purchase 
price of approximately $1.0 billion (the “purchase”). the ptc Shares 
are considered equity securities. For a period of approximately 
3  years  after  the  purchase  we  are  subject  to  entity-specific 
transfer restrictions subject to certain exceptions. Since the first 
anniversary of the purchase, the company has had the ability to 
transfer, in the aggregate in any 90-day period, a number of the 
ptc Shares equal to up to 1.0% of ptc’s total outstanding shares 
of common stock as of the first day in such 90-day period, but no 
more than 2.0% of ptc’s total outstanding shares of common stock 
in each of the second year and the third year after the purchase.

the ptc Shares are recorded at fair value. at September 30, 
2020, the fair value of the ptc Shares was $875.3 million, which 
was  recorded  in  long-term  investments  in  the  consolidated 
Balance Sheet. We recorded a gain of $153.9 million and a loss 
of $368.5 million related to the ptc Shares in the consolidated 
Statement of Operations in the years ended September 30, 2020 
and 2019, respectively.

FaIr VaLUE OF INVEStMENtS

We  recognize  all  available-for-sale  and  trading  investments 
at fair value in the consolidated Balance Sheet. the valuation 
methodologies used for our investments measured at fair value 
are described below.

Certificates of deposit and time deposits — these investments are 
recorded at cost, which approximates fair value.

Fair values of our investments were (in millions):

certificates of deposit and time deposits

equity securities

TOTAL

September 30,

2020

0.6

$

—

0.6

$

2019

39.6

4.3

43.9

$

$

Commercial paper — these investments are recorded at amortized 
cost, which approximates fair value.

Corporate debt securities — Valued at either the yields currently 
available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit 
ratings or valued under a discounted cash flow approach that 
maximizes observable inputs, such as current yields of similar 
instruments, but includes adjustments for certain risks that may 
not be observable such as credit and liquidity risks.

Government securities — Valued at the most recent closing price 
on the active market on which the individual securities are traded 
or, absent an active market, utilizing observable inputs such as 
closing prices in less frequently traded markets.

Asset-backed securities — Valued using a discounted cash flow 
approach that maximizes observable inputs, such as current yields 
of benchmark instruments, but includes adjustments for certain 
risks that may not be observable such as credit and liquidity risks.

Equity securities — prior to their registration in fiscal 2019, the 
ptc Shares were valued using the most recent closing price of 
ptc common stock quoted on nasdaq, less a temporary discount 
for lack of marketability. the discount for lack of marketability was 
calculated using a put-option model which included observable 
and unobservable inputs and was categorized as level 3 in the fair 
value hierarchy. as a result of the registration of the ptc Shares 
and reversal of the discount during fiscal 2019, these securities 
are now valued using the most recent closing price as quoted on 
nasdaq and were transferred from level 3 to level 1.

refer to note 1 for further information regarding levels in the fair 
value hierarchy. We did not have any other transfers between 
levels of fair value measurements during the periods presented.

September 30, 2020

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

$

$

— $

0.6 $

875.3

—

875.3 $

0.6 $

— $

—

— $

Total

0.6

875.3

875.9

53

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

September 30, 2019

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

certificates of deposit and time deposits

$

— $

0.6 $

— $

corporate debt securities

Government securities

asset-backed securities

equity securities

TOTAL

—

6.3

—

721.5

31.8

—

5.2

—

—

—

—

—

0.6

31.8

6.3

5.2

721.5

$

727.8 $

37.6 $

— $

765.4

NOtE 11.  deriVatiVe inStrumentS

We use foreign currency forward exchange contracts and foreign 
currency  denominated  debt  obligations  to  manage  certain 
foreign currency risks. We also use interest rate swap contracts 
and treasury locks to manage risks associated with interest rate 
fluctuations. the following information explains how we use and 
value these types of derivative instruments and how they impact 
our consolidated financial statements.

additional information related to the impacts of cash flow hedges 
on other comprehensive income (loss) is included in note 12.

tYPES OF DErIVatIVE INStrUMENtS aND 
HEDGING aCtIVItIES

CaSH FLOW HEDGES

We enter into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to 
hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate variability 
in  the  expected  future  cash  flows  associated  with  certain 

third-party and intercompany transactions denominated in foreign 
currencies forecasted to occur within the next two years (cash 
flow hedges). We report in other comprehensive income (loss) 
the effective portion of the gain or loss on derivative financial 
instruments that we designate and that qualify as cash flow 
hedges. We reclassify these gains or losses into earnings in the 
same periods when the hedged transactions affect earnings. to 
the extent forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow 
hedges are ineffective, changes in value are recorded in earnings 
through the maturity date. there was no impact on earnings due 
to ineffective cash flow hedges. at September 30, 2020, we had 
a u.S. dollar-equivalent gross notional amount of $855.7 million 
of foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as 
cash flow hedges. We entered into treasury locks to manage the 
potential change in interest rates in anticipation of the issuance 
of $1.0 billion of fixed rate debt in march 2019. treasury locks are 
accounted for as cash flow hedges since they hedge the risk of an 
increase in treasury rates for the forecasted interest payments of 
an anticipated fixed-rate debt issuance.

the pre-tax amount of gains (losses) recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) related to cash flow hedges that would have been 
recorded in the consolidated Statement of Operations had they not been so designated was (in millions):

Forward exchange contracts

treasury locks

2020

2019

$

(9.7)

$

29.5

$

—

(35.7)

2018

11.8

—

the pre-tax amount of gains (losses) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into the consolidated Statement of 
Operations related to derivative forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges, which offset the related gains and losses 
on the hedged items during the periods presented, was (in millions):

Sales

cost of sales

Selling, general and administrative expenses

interest expense

TOTAL

54

2020

2019

(0.7)

$

1.0

$

19.6

(1.4)

(2.1)

18.2

(1.3)

(1.2)

2018

2.4

(17.2)

1.2

—

15.4

$

16.7

$

(13.6)

$

$

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

approximately $7.6 million of pre-tax net unrealized losses on cash 
flow hedges as of September 30, 2020 will be reclassified into 
earnings during the next twelve months. We expect that these 
net unrealized losses will be offset when the hedged items are 
recognized in earnings.

NEt INVEStMENt HEDGES

We use foreign currency forward exchange contracts and foreign 
currency denominated debt obligations to hedge portions of 
our net investments in non-u.S. subsidiaries (net investment 
hedges) against the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the 
translation of foreign currency balances to the u.S. dollar. For all 

instruments that are designated as net investment hedges and 
meet effectiveness requirements, the net changes in value of the 
designated hedging instruments are recorded in accumulated 
other comprehensive loss within shareowners’ equity where they 
offset gains and losses recorded on our net investments globally. 
to the extent forward exchange contracts or foreign currency 
denominated debt designated as net investment hedges are 
ineffective, changes in value are recorded in earnings through the 
maturity date. there was no impact on earnings due to ineffective 
net investment hedges. at September 30, 2020, we had a gross 
notional amount of $141.1 million of foreign currency forward 
exchange contracts designated as net investment hedges.

the pre-tax amount of (losses) gains recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) related to net investment hedges that would have 
been recorded in the consolidated Statement of Operations had they not been so designated was (in millions):

Forward exchange contracts

FaIr VaLUE HEDGES

We used interest rate swap contracts to manage the borrowing 
costs of certain long-term debt. in February 2015, we issued 
$600.0 million aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes. 
upon issuance of these notes, we entered into fixed-to-floating 
interest rate swap contracts that effectively converted these 
notes from fixed rate debt to floating rate debt. We designated 

2020

2019

$

(1.3)

$

(4.9) $

2018

1.1

these contracts as fair value hedges because they hedged the 
changes in fair value of the fixed rate notes resulting from changes 
in interest rates. the changes in value of these fair value hedges 
were recorded as gains or losses in interest expense and are offset 
by the losses or gains on the underlying debt instruments, which 
are also recorded in interest expense. in may 2020, we settled 
all outstanding interest rate swaps. refer to note 7 for further 
information regarding the settlement of the interest rate swaps.

the pre-tax amount of net gains (losses) recognized within the consolidated Statement of Operations related to derivative instruments 
designated as fair value hedges, which fully offset the related net gains and losses on the hedged debt instruments during the periods 
presented, was (in millions):

interest income (expense)

2020

2019

$

15.1

$

30.9

$

2018

(19.3)

DErIVatIVES NOt DESIGNatED aS HEDGING 
INStrUMENtS

certain of our locations have assets and liabilities denominated in 
currencies other than their functional currencies resulting from 
intercompany loans and other transactions with third parties 
denominated in foreign currencies. We enter into foreign currency 
forward exchange contracts that we do not designate as hedging 
instruments to offset the transaction gains or losses associated 

with some of these assets and liabilities. Gains and losses on 
derivative financial instruments for which we do not elect hedge 
accounting  are  recognized  in  the  consolidated  Statement 
of Operations in each period, based on the change in the fair 
value of the derivative financial instruments. at September 30, 
2020, we had a u.S. dollar-equivalent gross notional amount of 
$758.3 million of foreign currency forward exchange contracts 
not designated as hedging instruments.

the pre-tax amount of gains (losses) from forward exchange contracts not designated as hedging instruments recognized in the 
consolidated Statement of Operations was (in millions):

cost of sales

Other (expense) income

TOTAL

2020

2019

6.1

$

(0.4)

$

(11.8)

(5.7) $

1.6

1.2

$

$

$

2018

1.0

(0.1)

0.9

55

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

FaIr VaLUE OF DErIVatIVE INStrUMENtS

We recognize all derivative financial instruments as either assets 
or liabilities at fair value in the consolidated Balance Sheet. We 
value our forward exchange contracts using a market approach. 
We use a valuation model based on inputs including forward and 
spot prices for currency and interest rate curves. We did not 
change our valuation techniques during fiscal 2020, 2019 or 2018. 
it is our policy to execute such instruments with major financial 
institutions that we believe to be creditworthy and not to enter 
into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. 
We diversify our foreign currency forward exchange contracts 
among counterparties to minimize exposure to any one of these 

entities. Our foreign currency forward exchange contracts are 
usually denominated in currencies of major industrial countries. 
the u.S. dollar-equivalent gross notional amount of our forward 
exchange contracts totaled $1,755.1 million at September 30, 
2020. currency pairs (buy/sell) comprising the most significant 
contract notional values were euro/united States dollar (uSd), 
uSd/mexican peso, uSd/canadian dollar, British pound/uSd, and 
uSd/Swiss franc. refer to note 1 for further information regarding 
levels in the fair value hierarchy.

We value interest rate swap contracts using a market approach 
based on observable market inputs including publicized swap 
curves.

the fair value of our derivatives and their location in our consolidated Balance Sheet were (in millions):

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments

Balance Sheet Location

September 30, 2020

September 30, 2019

Fair Value (Level 2)

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

interest rate swap contracts

interest rate swap contracts

TOTAL

Other current assets

$

Other assets

Other current liabilities

Other liabilities

Other assets

Other current liabilities

$

6.9

1.0

(13.4)

(3.2)

—

—

(8.7) $

20.3

3.0

(4.5)

(0.4)

7.6

(0.6)

25.4

Fair Value (Level 2)

September 30, 2020

September 30, 2019

6.1

$

(10.9)

(4.8) $

4.8

(0.9)

3.9

$

$

$

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

Balance Sheet Location

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

TOTAL

Other current assets

Other current liabilities

56

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTpart ii 

ItEM 8.  Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

Part II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NOtE 12.  SHareOWnerS’ eQuity

COMMON StOCK

at  September  30,  2020,  the  authorized  stock  of  the company  consisted  of  one  billion  shares  of  common  stock,  par  value  
$1.00 per share, and 25 million shares of preferred stock, without par value. at September 30, 2020, 17.3 million shares of authorized 
common stock were reserved for various incentive plans.

changes in outstanding common shares are summarized as follows (in millions):

Beginning balance

treasury stock purchases

common stock issued (including share based compensation impact)

ENDING BALANCE

2020

115.7

(1.4)

1.9

116.2

2019

121.0

(6.1)

0.8

115.7

2018

128.4

(8.3)

0.9

121.0

at September 30, 2020, there were no outstanding common stock share repurchases recorded in accounts payable. at September 30, 
2019, there were $9.3 million of outstanding common stock share repurchases recorded in accounts payable.

aCCUMULatED OtHEr COMPrEHENSIVE LOSS

changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss attributable to rockwell automation by component were (in millions):

Pension and other 
postretirement 
benefit plan 
adjustments, net 
of tax (Note 14)

Accumulated 
currency 
translation 
adjustments, 
net of tax

Net unrealized 
gains (losses) 
on cash flow 
hedges, net 
of tax

Net unrealized 
gains (losses) on 
available-for-sale 
investments, net 
of tax

Total 
accumulated 
other 
comprehensive 
loss, net of tax

Balance as of September 30, 2017

$

(927.0) $

(237.7)

$

(14.4)

$

(0.1)

$

(1,179.2)

Other comprehensive income (loss) 
before reclassifications

amounts reclassified from 
accumulated other comprehensive loss

188.4

80.5

(48.3)

—

Other comprehensive income (loss)

268.9

(48.3)

8.7

10.1

18.8

(2.1)

—

(2.1)

BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

$

(658.1) $

(286.0) $

4.4

$

(2.2) $

Other comprehensive income (loss) 
before reclassifications

amounts reclassified from 
accumulated other comprehensive loss

(532.1)

(55.3)

56.5

—

Other comprehensive income (loss)

(475.6)

(55.3)

(5.3)

(12.1)

(17.4)

BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

$

(1,133.7) $

(341.3) $

(13.0) $

Other comprehensive income (loss) 
before reclassifications

amounts reclassified from 
accumulated other comprehensive loss

Other comprehensive income (loss)

adoption of accounting standard/other

(100.2)

109.5

9.3

(146.8)

26.0

—

26.0

3.8

(7.3)

(11.2)

(18.5)

—

BALANCE AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 $

(1,271.2) $

(311.5) $

(31.5) $

2.2

—

2.2

—

—

—

—

—

—

146.7

90.6

237.3

(941.9)

(590.5)

44.4

(546.1)

$

(1,488.0)

(81.5)

98.3

16.8

(143.0)

$

(1,614.2)

57

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss to the consolidated Statement of Operations were (in millions):

Year Ended September 30,

2020

2019

2018

Affected Line in the Consolidated 
Statement of Operations

pension and other postretirement benefit plan 
adjustments(1):

amortization of prior service credit

$

(4.5)

$

(4.2)

$

(4.9) Other (expense) income

amortization of net actuarial loss

Settlements

net unrealized (gains) losses on cash flow hedges:

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

Forward exchange contracts

treasury locks related to 2019 debt issuance

TOTAL RECLASSIFICATIONS

148.7

—

144.2

(34.7)

78.7

1.2

75.7

(19.2)

115.1

Other (expense) income

0.7

Other (expense) income

110.9

income before income taxes

(30.4)

income tax provision

109.5

$

56.5

$

80.5 net income

0.7

$

(1.0)

$

(2.4) Sales

(19.6)

(18.2)

17.2

cost of sales

1.4

2.1

(15.4)

4.2

(11.2)

98.3

$

$

1.3

1.2

(16.7)

4.6

(12.1)

44.4

(1.2) Selling, general and 

administrative expenses

— interest expense

13.6

income before income taxes

(3.5)

income tax provision

$

$

10.1 net income

90.6 net income

$

$

$

$

(1)  These components are included in the computation of net periodic benefit costs. See Note 14 for further information.

NOtE 13.   SHare-BaSed cOmpenSatiOn

during  2020,  2019  and  2018,  we  recognized  $46.1  million, 
$43.1  million  and  $38.5  million  of  pre-tax  share-based 
compensation  expense,  respectively.  the  total  income  tax 
benefit related to share-based compensation expense was $7.7 
million, $6.9 million and $9.6 million during 2020, 2019 and 2018, 
respectively. We recognize compensation expense on grants of 
share-based compensation awards on a straight-line basis over 
the service period of each award recipient. as of September 30, 
2020, total unrecognized compensation cost related to share-
based compensation awards was $51.2 million, net of estimated 
forfeitures, which we expect to recognize over a weighted average 
period of approximately 1.9 years.

during 2020, we adopted, and our shareowners approved, our 2020 
long-term incentives plan (“2020 plan”), which replaced our 2012 
long-term incentives plan, as amended (“2012 plan”) and our 2003 
directors Stock plan, as amended (“directors plan”). Our 2020 plan 
authorizes us to deliver up to 13.0 million shares of our common 
stock upon exercise of stock options, upon grant, or in payment 
of stock appreciation rights, performance shares, performance 
units, restricted stock units or restricted stock. Our directors plan 
authorized us to deliver up to 0.5 million shares of our common 

stock upon exercise of stock options, upon grant, or in payment 
of restricted stock units. Shares relating to awards under our 
2012 plan that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation 
or otherwise without the issuance or delivery of shares or that 
are settled in cash in lieu of shares will be available for further 
awards under the 2020 plan. approximately 12.9 million shares 
under our 2020 plan remain available for future grant or payment 
at September 30, 2020. We use treasury stock to deliver shares 
of our common stock under these plans. Our 2020 plan does not 
permit share-based compensation awards to be granted after 
February 4, 2030.

StOCK OPtIONS

We have granted non-qualified and incentive stock options to 
purchase our common stock under various incentive plans at 
prices equal to the fair market value of the stock on the grant 
dates. the exercise price for stock options granted under the 
plans may be paid in cash, already-owned shares of common stock 
or a combination of cash and such shares. Stock options expire 
ten years after the grant date and vest ratably over three years.

58

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the per-share weighted average fair value of stock options granted during the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was 
$35.80, $32.46 and $35.29, respectively. the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $151.6 million, $35.8 million and  
$71.0 million during 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We estimated the fair value of each stock option on the date of grant using the 
Black-Scholes pricing model and the following assumptions:

average risk-free interest rate

expected dividend yield

expected volatility

expected term (years)

2020

1.63%

2.08%

24%

4.9

2019

2.79%

2.27%

23%

5.0

2018

2.14%

1.75%

22%

5.0

the average risk-free interest rate is based on u.S. treasury 
security rates corresponding to the expected term in effect as 
of the grant date. the expected dividend yield is based on the 
expected annual dividend as a percentage of the market value of 
our common stock as of the grant date. We determined expected 

volatility using daily historical volatility of our stock price over the 
most recent period corresponding to the expected term as of the 
grant date. We determined the expected term of the stock options 
using historical data adjusted for the estimated exercise dates of 
unexercised options.

a summary of stock option activity for the year ended September 30, 2020 is:

Outstanding at October 1, 2019

Granted

exercised

Forfeited

canceled

OUTSTANDING AT SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Vested or expected to vest at September 30, 2020

exercisable at September 30, 2020

Shares
(in thousands)

4,298

$

974

(1,784)

(77)

(7)

3,404

2,115

1,606

Wtd. Avg.
Exercise
Price

139.53

195.90

120.09

181.58

170.82

164.81

141.77

139.70

Wtd. Avg.
Remaining
Contractual
Term (years)

Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
of In-The-Money
Options
(in millions)

$

7.2

5.8

5.7

190.2

166.9

130.0

PErFOrMaNCE SHarE aWarDS

certain officers and key employees are also eligible to receive 
shares of our common stock in payment of performance share 
awards granted to them. Grantees of performance shares will 
be eligible to receive shares of our common stock depending 
upon our total shareowner return, assuming reinvestment of 

all dividends, relative to the performance of companies in the  
S&p 500 index over a three-year period. the number of shares 
actually earned will range from zero percent to 200 percent of 
the targeted number of performance shares for the three-year 
performance periods and will be paid, to the extent earned, in 
the fiscal quarter following the end of the applicable three-year 
performance period.

a summary of performance share activity for the year ended September 30, 2020 is as follows:

Outstanding at October 1, 2019

Granted(1)

adjustment for performance results achieved(2)

Vested and issued

Forfeited

OUTSTANDING AT SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Performance
Shares
(in thousands)

Wtd. Avg.
Grant Date
Share Fair Value

127

$

36

(8)

(28)

(3)

124

178.40

265.04

174.37

174.37

188.26

204.92

(1)  Performance shares granted assuming achievement of performance goals at target.
(2)  Adjustments were due to the number of shares vested under fiscal 2017 awards at the end of the three-year performance period ended September 30, 2019 

being lower than the target number of shares.

59

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the following table summarizes information about performance shares vested during the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 
2018:

percent payout

Shares vested (in thousands)

total fair value of shares vested (in millions)

$

2020

77%

28

5.6

2019

200%

145

$

25.8

$

2018

187%

139

26.5

For the three-year performance period ending September 30, 2020, the payout will be 93 percent of the target number of shares, with 
a maximum of approximately 32,000 shares to be delivered in payment under the awards in december 2020.

the per-share fair value of performance share awards granted during the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was 
$265.04, $155.04 and $219.04, respectively, which we determined using a monte carlo simulation and the following assumptions:

average risk-free interest rate

expected dividend yield

expected volatility

2020

1.58%

2.06%

25%

2019

2.77%

2.24%

23%

2018

1.88%

1.72%

22%

the average risk-free interest rate is based on the three-year 
u.S. treasury security rate in effect as of the grant date. the 
expected dividend yield is based on the expected annual dividend 
as a percentage of the market value of our common stock as of 
the grant date. the expected volatilities were determined using 
daily historical volatility for the most recent three-year period as 
of the grant date.

rEStrICtED StOCK aND rEStrICtED StOCK UNItS

We grant restricted stock and restricted stock units to certain 
employees, and non-employee directors may elect to receive 

a  portion  of  their  compensation  in  restricted  stock  units. 
restrictions  on  employee  restricted  stock  and  employee 
restricted stock units generally lapse over periods ranging from 
one to five years. director restricted stock units generally are 
payable upon retirement. We value restricted stock and restricted 
stock units at the closing market value of our common stock on 
the date of grant. the weighted average fair value of restricted 
stock and restricted stock unit awards granted during the years 
ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $200.36, $170.75 
and $188.41, respectively. the total fair value of shares vested 
during the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019, and 2018 was  
$8.7 million, $7.8 million, and $7.2 million, respectively.

a summary of restricted stock and restricted stock unit activity for the year ended September 30, 2020 is as follows:

Outstanding at October 1, 2019

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

OUTSTANDING AT SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Restricted
Stock and
Restricted
Stock Units
(in thousands)

$

142

71

(44)

(6)

163

$

Wtd. Avg.
Grant Date
Share
Fair Value

160.14

200.36

139.49

180.80

182.66

We also granted approximately 6,900 shares of unrestricted common stock to non-employee directors during the year ended 
September 30, 2020. the weighted average grant date fair value of the unrestricted stock awards granted during the years ended 
September 30, 2020, 2019, and 2018 was $171.51, $182.39 and $183.76, respectively.

60

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NOtE 14.  retirement BeneFitS

We  sponsor  funded  and  unfunded  pension  plans  and  other 
postretirement benefit plans for our employees. the pension plans 
provide for monthly pension payments to eligible employees after 
retirement. pension benefits for salaried employees generally are 
based on years of credited service and average earnings. pension 
benefits for hourly employees are primarily based on specified 
benefit amounts and years of service. effective July 1, 2010, we 
closed participation in our u.S. and canada pension plans to 
employees hired after June 30, 2010. employees hired after June 
30, 2010 are instead eligible to participate in defined contribution 
plans. effective October 1, 2010, we also closed participation in our 
u.K. pension plan to employees hired after September 30, 2010 
and these employees are now eligible for a defined contribution 
plan. Benefits to be provided to plan participants hired before 
July 1, 2010 or October 1, 2010, respectively, are not affected by 
these changes. Our policy with respect to funding our pension 
obligations  is  to  fund  at  a  minimum  the  amount  required  by 
applicable  laws  and  governmental  regulations.  We  were  not 
required  to  make  contributions  to  satisfy  minimum  funding 
requirements in our u.S. pension plans in 2020, 2019 or 2018. We 
made a voluntary contribution of $50.0 million to our u.S. qualified 

pension plan in 2020. We did not make voluntary contributions to 
our u.S. qualified pension plan in 2019 or 2018.

We  sponsor  various  defined  contribution  savings  plans  that 
allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their income 
in accordance with plan specific guidelines. We contribute to 
savings plans and/or will match a percentage of the employee 
contributions up to certain limits. the company contributions to 
defined contribution plans are based on age and years of service 
and range from 3% to 7% of eligible compensation. However, 
effective from may 2020 through november 2020, we temporarily 
suspended the 401(k) matching contribution for all u.S. employees 
to address the then-current and anticipated economic conditions 
resulting from the global cOVid-19 pandemic. expense related to 
these plans was $50.9 million in 2020, $53.1 million in 2019, and 
$47.0 million in 2018.

Other  postretirement  benefits  are  primarily  in  the  form  of 
retirement medical plans that cover certain employees in the 
u.S. and canada and provide for the payment of certain medical 
costs of eligible employees and dependents after retirement. the 
postretirement benefit plan was closed to employees hired after 
december 31, 2004.

NEt PErIODIC BENEFIt COSt

the components of net periodic benefit cost (income) are (in millions):

Pension Benefits

Other Postretirement Benefits

Service cost

interest cost

expected return on plan assets

amortization:

prior service cost (credit)

net actuarial loss

Settlements

2020

$

91.1

$

136.4

(244.8)

0.9

147.3

—

2019

78.2

158.3

$

2018

88.9

155.3

(244.7)

(244.8)

$

1.2

77.8

1.2

0.6

113.4

0.7

114.1

$

2020

1.0

1.6

—

(5.4)

1.4

—

$

2019

0.9

2.3

—

(5.4)

0.9

—

2018

1.3

2.4

—

(5.5)

1.7

—

(0.1)

NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST (INCOME)

$

130.9

$

72.0

$

$

(1.4)

$

(1.3)

$

the service cost component is included in cost of sales and Selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated Statement 
of Operations. all other components are included in Other (expense) income in the consolidated Statement of Operations.

Significant assumptions used in determining net periodic benefit cost (income) are (in weighted averages):

U.S. PLANS

discount rate

expected return on plan assets

compensation increase rate

NON-U.S. PLANS

discount rate

expected return on plan assets

compensation increase rate

Pension Benefits

Other Postretirement Benefits

2020

2019

2018

2020

2019

2018

3.30%

7.50%

3.40%

1.60%

5.11%

3.06%

4.35%

7.50%

3.50%

2.48%

5.22%

3.02%

3.90%

7.50%

3.50%

2.30%

5.19%

2.99%

2.90%

4.15%

3.40%

—

—

—

—

—

—

2.65%

3.30%

3.20%

—

—

—

—

—

—

61

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NEt BENEFIt OBLIGatION

Benefit obligation, plan assets, funded status and net liability information is summarized as follows (in millions):

Pension Benefits

Other Postretirement Benefits

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

$

4,907.3

$

4,259.5

$

60.7

$

2020

2019

2020

2019

62.4

0.9

2.3

4.7

—

—

3.4

(12.8)

—

(0.2)

60.7

—

—

9.4

3.4

(12.8)

—

—

—

—

(7.3)

(53.4)

(60.7)

Service cost

interest cost

actuarial losses (gains)

acquisitions

plan amendments

plan participant contributions

Benefits paid

Settlements

currency translation and other

Benefit obligation at end of year

plan assets at beginning of year

actual return on plan assets

company contributions

plan participant contributions

Benefits paid

Settlements

currency translation and other

plan assets at end of year

FUNDED STATUS OF PLANS

net amount on balance sheet consists of:

Other assets

compensation and benefits

retirement benefits

NET AMOUNT ON BALANCE SHEET

$

$

$

91.1

136.4

154.1

(0.6)

—

3.1

(285.0)

(10.5)

31.0

5,026.9

3,753.1

266.0

84.1

3.1

(285.0)

(10.5)

27.2

3,838.0

78.2

158.3

720.4

—

(4.9)

3.4

(263.1)

(6.2)

(38.3)

4,907.3

3,754.8

263.6

30.9

3.4

(263.1)

(6.2)

(30.3)

3,753.1

(1,188.9) $

(1,154.2)

27.9

$

(13.9)

(1,202.9)

6.5

(12.7)

(1,148.0)

$

$

1.0

1.6

(1.4)

—

—

3.0

(7.8)

—

(0.1)

57.0

—

—

4.8

3.0

(7.8)

—

—

—

(57.0) $

(60.7)

—

$

(5.8)

(51.2)

(1,188.9) $

(1,154.2)

$

(57.0) $

the actuarial losses recorded in 2020 were primarily the result of a decrease in the discount rate for u.S. plans, which decreased from 
3.30% in 2019 to 2.90% in 2020. the actuarial losses recorded in 2019 were primarily the result of a decrease in the discount rate for u.S. 
plans, which decreased from 4.35% in 2018 to 3.30% in 2019. approximately 76 percent of our 2020 global projected benefit obligation 
relates to our u.S. pension plan.

amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, which have not yet been recognized in net periodic benefit 
cost are as follows (in millions):

prior service cost (credit)

net actuarial loss

TOTAL

Pension Benefits

Other Postretirement Benefits

2020

3.3

1,262.1

1,265.4

$

$

$

$

2019

2.7

1,127.7

1,130.4

$

$

2020

—

5.8

5.8

$

$

2019

(4.1)

7.4

3.3

during 2020, we recognized prior service credits of $4.5 million ($3.5 million net of tax) and net actuarial losses of $148.7 million ($113.0 million 
net of tax) in pension and other postretirement net periodic benefit cost, which were included in accumulated other comprehensive loss at 
September 30, 2019.

the accumulated benefit obligation for our pension plans was $4,638.1 million and $4,548.8 million at September 30, 2020 and 2019, 
respectively.

62

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

information regarding our pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of the fair value of plan assets (underfunded plans) 
are as follows (in millions):

projected benefit obligation

Fair value of plan assets

2020

$

4,482.0 $

3,265.2

2019

4,607.4

3,446.7

information regarding our pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of the fair value of plan assets (underfunded 
plans) are as follows (in millions):

accumulated benefit obligation

Fair value of plan assets

Significant assumptions used in determining the benefit obligations are (in weighted averages):

2020

$

4,113.4

$

3,265.2

2019

4,019.7

3,205.2

U.S. PLANS

discount rate

compensation increase rate

Health care cost trend rate(1)

NON-U.S. PLANS

discount rate

compensation increase rate

Health care cost trend rate(1)

Pension Benefits

Other Postretirement Benefits

2020

2019

2020

2019

2.90%

3.40%

—

1.56%

2.90%

—

3.30%

3.40%

—

1.60%

3.06%

—

2.15%

—

6.25%

2.20%

—

4.50%

2.90%

—

6.50%

2.65%

—

4.50%

(1)  The health care cost trend rate reflects the estimated increase in gross medical claims costs. As a result of the plan amendment adopted effective October 
1, 2002, our effective per person retiree medical cost increase is zero percent beginning in 2005 for the majority of our postretirement benefit plans. For our 
other plans, we assume the gross health care cost trend rate will decrease to 5.00% in 2022 for U.S. Plans and will not change in 2021 for Non-U.S. Plans.

EStIMatED FUtUrE PaYMENtS

We expect to contribute $83.8 million related to our global pension plans and $5.8 million to our postretirement benefit plans in 2021.

the following benefit payments, which include employees’ expected future service, as applicable, are expected to be paid (in millions):

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026 – 2030

Pension Benefits

$

335.2 $

324.6

301.1

302.3

302.3

1,468.0

Other
Postretirement 
Benefits

5.8

5.7

5.4

5.1

4.7

18.9

63

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

PLaN aSSEtS

in determining the expected long-term rate of return on assets assumption, we consider actual returns on plan assets over the long 
term, adjusted for forward-looking considerations, such as inflation, interest rates, equity performance and the active management 
of the plan’s invested assets. We also considered our current and expected mix of plan assets in setting this assumption. this resulted 
in the selection of the weighted average long-term rate of return on assets assumption. Our global weighted-average targeted and 
actual asset allocations at September 30, by asset category, are:

Asset Category

equity securities

debt securities

Other

the  investment  objective  for  pension  funds  related  to  our 
defined benefit plans is to meet the plan’s benefit obligations, 
while maximizing the long-term growth of assets without undue 
risk. We strive to achieve this objective by investing plan assets 
within target allocation ranges and diversification within asset 
categories.  target  allocation  ranges  are  guidelines  that  are 
adjusted  periodically  based  on  ongoing  monitoring  by  plan 
fiduciaries.  investment  risk  is  controlled  by  rebalancing  to 
target allocations on a periodic basis and ongoing monitoring 
of investment manager performance relative to the investment 
guidelines established for each manager.

as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, our pension plans do not 
directly own our common stock.

in  certain  countries  where  we  operate,  there  are  no  legal 
requirements or financial incentives provided to companies to 
pre-fund pension obligations. in these instances, we typically 
make benefit payments directly from cash as they become due, 
rather than by creating a separate pension fund.

the  valuation  methodologies  used  for  our  pension  plans’ 
investments measured at fair value are described as follows. 
there  have  been  no  changes  in  the  methodologies  used  at 
September 30, 2020 and 2019.

Common stock — Valued at the closing price reported on the active 
market on which the individual securities are traded.

Mutual funds — Valued at the net asset value (naV) reported by 
the fund.

Corporate debt — Valued at either the yields currently available 
on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings or 
valued under a discounted cash flow approach that maximizes 
observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, 
but  includes  adjustments  for  certain  risks  that  may  not  be 
observable such as credit and liquidity risks.

Government securities — Valued at the most recent closing price 
on the active market on which the individual securities are traded 

Allocation
Range

Target
Allocations

40% – 65%

30% – 50%

0% – 15%

54%

38%

7%

September 30,

2020

2019

50%

43%

7%

49%

44%

7%

or, absent an active market, utilizing observable inputs such as 
closing prices in less frequently traded markets.

Common collective trusts — Valued at the naV as determined by 
the custodian of the fund. the naV is based on the fair value of 
the underlying assets owned by the fund, minus its liabilities then 
divided by the number of units outstanding.

Private equity and alternative equity — Valued at the estimated fair 
value, as determined by the respective fund manager, based on 
the naV of the investment units held at year end, which is subject 
to judgment.

Real estate funds —  consists of the real estate funds, which 
provide an indirect investment into a diversified and multi-sector 
portfolio of property assets. publicly-traded real estate funds are 
valued at the most recent closing price reported on the SiX Swiss 
exchange. the remainder is valued at the estimated fair value, 
as determined by the respective fund manager, based on the 
naV of the investment units held at year end, which is subject 
to judgment.

Insurance  contracts  —  Valued  at  the  aggregate  amount  of 
accumulated contribution and investment income less amounts 
used to make benefit payments and administrative expenses 
which approximates fair value.

Other — consists of other fixed income investments and common 
collective trusts with a mix of equity and fixed income underlying 
assets. Other fixed income investments are valued at the most 
recent closing price reported in the markets in which the individual 
securities are traded, which may be infrequently.

refer to note 1 for further information regarding levels in the fair 
value hierarchy.

in accordance with aSc Subtopic 820-10, certain investments 
that are measured at fair value using the naV (or its equivalent) 
practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value 
hierarchy. the fair value amounts presented in this table are 
intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to 
the line items presented in the consolidated financial statements.

64

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the following table presents our pension plans’ investments measured at fair value as of September 30, 2020:

U.S. PLANS

cash and cash equivalents

$

1.4

$

—

$

—

$

1.4

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

equity securities:

mutual funds

common stock

common collective trusts

Fixed income securities:

corporate debt

Government securities

common collective trusts

Other types of investments:

insurance contracts

112.4

947.7

—

—

244.7

—

—

—

—

467.4

699.3

133.1

169.0

—

total u.S. plans investments in fair value hierarchy

$

1,306.2

$

1,468.8

$

u.S. plans investments measured at naV:

private equity

alternative equity

TOTAL U.S. PLANS INVESTMENTS

NON-U.S. PLANS

cash and cash equivalents

equity securities:

common stock

common collective trusts

Fixed income securities:

corporate debt

Government securities

common collective trusts

Other types of investments:

real estate funds

insurance contracts

Other

$

1.9

$

—

$

62.4

—

—

1.1

—

—

—

—

—

329.3

65.6

—

350.9

78.9

—

—

total non-u.S. plans investments in fair value hierarchy

$

65.4

$

824.7

$

non-u.S. plans investments measured at naV:

real estate funds

TOTAL NON-U.S. PLANS INVESTMENTS

TOTAL INVESTMENTS MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE

—

—

—

—

—

—

0.9

0.9

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

110.2

4.6

114.8

112.4

947.7

467.4

699.3

377.8

169.0

0.9

2,775.9

23.5

18.4

2,817.8

1.9

62.4

329.3

65.6

1.1

350.9

78.9

110.2

4.6

1,004.9

15.3

1,020.2

$

3,838.0

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ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the following table presents our pension plans’ investments measured at fair value as of September 30, 2019:

U.S. PLANS

cash and cash equivalents

$

2.6

$

—

$

—

$

2.6

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

equity securities:

mutual funds

common stock

common collective trusts

Fixed income securities:

corporate debt

Government securities

common collective trusts

Other types of investments:

insurance contracts

129.7

919.7

—

—

285.1

—

—

—

—

419.0

698.7

130.0

138.4

—

total u.S. plans investments in fair value hierarchy

$

1,337.1

$

1,386.1

$

u.S. plans investments measured at naV:

private equity

alternative equity

TOTAL U.S. PLANS INVESTMENTS

NON-U.S. PLANS

cash and cash equivalents

equity securities:

common stock

common collective trusts

Fixed income securities:

corporate debt

Government securities

common collective trusts

Other types of investments:

real estate funds

insurance contracts

Other

$

16.6

$

—

$

63.4

—

—

1.3

—

—

—

—

—

304.5

61.2

—

329.7

85.1

—

—

total non-u.S. plans investments in fair value hierarchy

$

81.3

$

780.5

$

non-u.S. plans investments measured at naV:

real estate funds

TOTAL NON-U.S. PLANS INVESTMENTS

TOTAL INVESTMENTS MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE

—

—

—

—

—

—

0.9

0.9

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

95.4

4.5

99.9

129.7

919.7

419.0

698.7

415.1

138.4

0.9

2,724.1

31.6

25.6

2,781.3

16.6

63.4

304.5

61.2

1.3

329.7

85.1

95.4

4.5

961.7

10.1

971.8

$

3,753.1

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Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the table below sets forth a summary of changes in fair market value of our pension plans’ level 3 assets for the year ended 
September 30, 2020:

Balance
October 1, 2019

Realized Gains 
(Losses)

Unrealized 
Gains (Losses)

Purchases, Sales, 
Issuances, and 
Settlements, Net

Balance 
September 30, 
2020

U.S. PLANS

insurance contracts

NON-U.S. PLANS

insurance contracts

Other

$

$

0.9

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

0.9

95.4

4.5

100.8

$

—

—

—

13.0

0.1

1.8

—

$

13.1

$

1.8

$

110.2

4.6

115.7

the table below sets forth a summary of changes in fair market value of our pension plans’ level 3 assets for the year ended 
September 30, 2019:

U.S. PLANS

insurance contracts

NON-U.S. PLANS

insurance contracts

Other

$

$

Balance
October 1, 2018

Realized Gains 
(Losses)

Unrealized 
Gains (Losses)

Purchases, Sales, 
Issuances, and 
Settlements, Net

Balance 
September 30, 
2019

0.9

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

0.9

79.1

4.6

84.6

$

—

—

—

14.3

(0.1)

2.0

—

$

14.2

$

2.0

$

NOtE 15.  OtHer (eXpenSe) incOme

the components of other (expense) income are (in millions):

interest income

royalty income

legacy product liability and environmental (charges) benefit

non-operating pension and postretirement benefit (cost) credit

Other

OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME

$

2020

5.5

8.9

(14.5)

(37.4)

7.8

2019

$

11.1

$

10.2

(22.1)

8.4

(1.5)

$

(29.7) $

6.1

$

95.4

4.5

100.8

2018

24.4

9.7

2.6

(23.8)

3.9

16.8

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Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

NOtE 16.  incOme taXeS

SELECtED INCOME taX Data (IN MILLIONS):

components of income before income taxes:

united States

non-united States

TOTAL

components of the income tax provision:

current:

united States

non-united States

State and local

TOTAL CURRENT

deferred:

united States

non-united States

State and local

total deferred

INCOME TAX PROVISION

TOTAL INCOME TAXES PAID

2020

2019

2018

280.8

620.2

901.0

$

$

721.6

609.2

1,330.8

$

$

$

$

$

556.2

579.9

1,136.1

68.1

96.6

13.9

178.6

(32.8)

(24.7)

(8.2)

(65.7)

112.9

187.9

$

$

$

$

$

105.6

$

112.1

16.5

234.2

(27.0)

(0.1)

(1.9)

(29.0)

205.2

293.3

$

$

475.3

131.4

18.1

624.8

118.6

48.0

3.9

170.5

795.3

222.9

2018

24.5%

1.0

(4.4)

4.2

—

36.6

—

0.7

(1.3)

(1.3)

(0.2)

EFFECtIVE taX ratE rECONCILIatION

the reconciliation between the u.S. federal statutory rate and our effective tax rate was:

Statutory tax rate

State and local income taxes

non-united States taxes

repatriation of foreign earnings

Foreign-derived intangible income

impact of the tax act

Sensia formation

change in valuation allowance(a)

Share-based compensation

research and development tax credit

Other

EFFECTIVE INCOME TAX RATE

2020

21.0%

2019

21.0%

0.8

(5.2)

1.3

(1.0)

—

(1.1)

(2.7)

(1.9)

(1.1)

(0.2)

0.1

(4.8)

2.8

(1.6)

—

—

7.6

(0.9)

(1.2)

(0.2)

9.9%

22.8%

59.8%

(a)  During fiscal year 2020, we reversed a portion of our valuation allowance against deferred tax assets associated with the change in fair value of the PTC Shares. 
This resulted in a decrease to the effective tax rate of 2.7% and a corresponding valuation allowance of $30.1 million, as described further in the table below.

We operate in certain non-u.S. tax jurisdictions under government-sponsored tax incentive programs. the program which generates the 
primary benefit has been extended, conditional upon meeting certain additional requirements, to 2032. the tax benefit attributable to 
these programs was $59.1 million ($0.51 per diluted share) in 2020, $55.1 million ($0.46 per diluted share) in 2019 and $52.3 million ($0.41 
per diluted share) in 2018.

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ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPart II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

DEFErrED taXES

the tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to our net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) were (in millions):

2020

2019

deferred income tax assets:

compensation and benefits

inventory

returns, rebates and incentives

retirement benefits

environmental remediation and other site-related costs

Share-based compensation

Other accruals and reserves

investments

net operating loss carryforwards

tax credit carryforwards

capital loss carryforwards

Other

Subtotal

Valuation allowance

net deferred income tax assets

deferred income tax liabilities:

property

intangible assets

unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries

Other

deferred income tax liabilities

$

6.0

$

10.5

34.5

306.8

23.8

18.6

68.4

31.6

31.1

17.3

10.8

16.8

576.2

(58.0)

518.2

(48.0)

(25.3)

(28.3)

(1.0)

(102.6)

TOTAL NET DEFERRED INCOME TAX ASSETS

$

415.6

$

6.0

11.1

29.8

298.5

26.2

21.6

46.9

69.6

18.5

16.5

9.5

10.7

564.9

(93.8)

471.1

(55.8)

(24.4)

(25.5)

(1.3)

(107.0)

364.1

We believe it is more likely than not that we will realize our deferred tax assets through the reduction of future taxable income, other 
than for the deferred tax assets reflected below.

tax attributes and related valuation allowances at September 30, 2020 were (in millions):

Tax attributes and related valuation allowances

non-united States net operating loss carryforward

non-united States net operating loss carryforward

non-united States capital loss carryforward

united States credit carryforward

united States net operating loss carryforward

State and local net operating loss carryforward

State tax credit carryforward

Subtotal

Other deferred tax assets

TOTAL

Tax Benefit 
Amount

Valuation 
Allowance

Carryforward
Period Ends

$

19.0 $

4.9

10.8

1.1

0.3

6.9

16.2

59.2

34.2

$

93.4 $

2021 - 2030

indefinite

indefinite

2021 - 2030

2021 - 2036

2021 - 2038

2021 - 2035

indefinite

5.8

4.0

10.8

1.1

—

1.4

0.7

23.8

34.2

58.0

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Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

UNrECOGNIZED taX BENEFItS

a reconciliation of our gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, is as follows (in millions):

Gross unrecognized tax benefits balance at beginning of year

$

19.9

$

2020

additions based on tax positions related to the current year

additions based on tax positions related to prior years

reductions based on tax positions related to prior years

reductions related to settlements with taxing authorities

reductions related to lapses of statute of limitations

effect of foreign currency translation

—

5.6

—

—

—

—

2019

20.1

$

—

—

—

—

(0.2)

—

GROSS UNRECOGNIZED TAX BENEFITS BALANCE AT END OF YEAR

$

25.5

$

19.9

$

2018

31.1

—

3.0

(1.1)

(11.3)

(1.6)

—

20.1

the  amount  of  gross  unrecognized  tax  benefits  that  would 
reduce our effective tax rate if recognized was $25.5 million,  
$19.9 million and $20.1 million at September 30, 2020, 2019 and 
2018, respectively.

limitations. if all of the unrecognized tax benefits were recognized, 
the  net  reduction  to  our  income  tax  provision,  including  the 
recognition of interest and penalties and offsetting tax assets, 
could be up to $26.8 million.

accrued  interest  and  penalties  related  to  unrecognized  tax 
benefits were $4.0 million and $3.3 million at September 30, 
2020 and 2019, respectively. We recognize interest and penalties 
related to unrecognized tax benefits in the income tax provision. 
Benefits (expense) recognized were ($0.7) million, ($0.8) million and  
$1.5 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

We believe it is reasonably possible that the amount of gross 
unrecognized  tax  benefits  could  be  reduced  by  up  to  $24.6 
million in the next 12 months as a result of the resolution of tax 
matters in various global jurisdictions and the lapses of statutes of 

We conduct business globally and are routinely audited by the 
various tax jurisdictions in which we operate. We are no longer 
subject to u.S. federal income tax examinations for years before 
2016 and are no longer subject to state, local and non-u.S. income 
tax examinations for years before 2009.

income tax liabilities of $296.0 million and $327.2 million related to 
the u.S. transition tax under the tax act that are payable greater 
than 12 months from September 30, 2020, and 2019, respectively, 
are recorded in other liabilities in the consolidated Balance Sheet.

NOtE 17.  cOmmitmentS and cOntinGent liaBilitieS

ENVIrONMENtaL MattErS

Federal, state and local requirements relating to the discharge 
of substances into the environment, the disposal of hazardous 
wastes and other activities affecting the environment have and will 
continue to have an effect on our manufacturing operations. thus 
far, compliance with environmental requirements and resolution 
of environmental claims have been accomplished without material 
effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We have been designated as a potentially responsible party at  
13  Superfund  sites,  excluding  sites  as  to  which  our  records 
disclose no involvement or as to which our potential liability has 
been finally determined and assumed by third parties. in addition, 
various  other  lawsuits,  claims  and  proceedings  have  been 
asserted against us seeking remediation of alleged environmental 
impairments, principally at previously owned properties.

Based on our assessment, we believe that our expenditures for 
environmental capital investment and remediation necessary 
to comply with present regulations governing environmental 
protection  and  other  expenditures  for  the  resolution  of 
environmental  claims  will  not  have  a  material  effect  on  our 
business,  financial  condition  or  results  of  operations.  We 

cannot assess the possible effect of compliance with future 
requirements. environmental remediation cost liabilities, net of 
related expected recoveries, were $59.2 million and $56.3 million 
as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

CONDItIONaL aSSEt rEtIrEMENt OBLIGatIONS

We accrue for costs related to a legal obligation associated with 
the retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the 
acquisition, construction, development or the normal operation 
of  the  long-lived  asset.  the  obligation  to  perform  the  asset 
retirement activity is not conditional even though the timing or 
method may be conditional. identified conditional asset retirement 
obligations include asbestos abatement and remediation of soil 
contamination beneath current and previously divested facilities. 
We  estimate  conditional  asset  retirement  obligations  using 
site-specific knowledge and historical industry expertise. there 
have been no significant changes in liabilities incurred, liabilities 
settled, accretion expense or revisions in estimated cash flows 
for the periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. conditional 
asset retirement obligations, net of related expected recoveries, 
were $22.8 million and $21.5 million as of September 30, 2020 and 
2019, respectively.

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Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

remaining life of asbestos liability. the uncertainties of asbestos 
claim litigation make it difficult to predict accurately the ultimate 
outcome of asbestos claims. that uncertainty is increased by the 
possibility of adverse rulings or new legislation affecting asbestos 
claim  litigation  or  the  settlement  process.  Subject  to  these 
uncertainties and based on our experience defending asbestos 
claims, we do not believe these lawsuits will have a material effect 
on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We have, from time to time, divested certain of our businesses. in 
connection with these divestitures, certain lawsuits, claims and 
proceedings may be instituted or asserted against us related to the 
period that we owned the businesses, either because we agreed 
to retain certain liabilities related to these periods or because 
such liabilities fall upon us by operation of law. in some instances 
the divested business has assumed the liabilities; however, it is 
possible that we might be responsible to satisfy those liabilities if 
the divested business is unable to do so. We do not believe these 
liabilities will have a material effect on our business, financial 
condition or results of operations.

in  many  countries  we  provide  a  limited  intellectual  property 
indemnity as part of our terms and conditions of sale. We also at 
times provide limited intellectual property indemnities in other 
contracts with third parties, such as contracts concerning the 
development and manufacture of our hardware and software 
products. as of September 30, 2020, we were not aware of any 
material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably 
possible of an unfavorable outcome. Historically, claims that have 
been made under the indemnification agreements have not had a 
material impact on our business, financial condition or results of 
operations; however, to the extent that valid indemnification claims 
arise in the future, future payments by us could be significant and 
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial 
condition or results of operations in a particular period.

OtHEr MattErS

Various  other  lawsuits,  claims  and  proceedings  have  been 
or  may  be  instituted  or  asserted  against  us  relating  to  the 
conduct of our business, including those pertaining to product 
liability, environmental, safety and health, intellectual property, 
employment and contract matters. although the outcome of 
litigation cannot be predicted with certainty and some lawsuits, 
claims or proceedings may be disposed of unfavorably to us, we 
believe the disposition of matters that are pending or have been 
asserted will not have a material effect on our business, financial 
condition or results of operations. the following outlines additional 
background for obligations associated with asbestos, divested 
businesses and intellectual property.

We (including our subsidiaries) have been named as a defendant 
in lawsuits alleging personal injury as a result of exposure to 
asbestos that was used in certain components of our products 
many years ago, including products from divested businesses for 
which we have agreed to defend and indemnify claims. currently 
there are a few thousand claimants in lawsuits that name us as 
defendants, together with hundreds of other companies. But 
in all cases, for those claimants who do show that they worked 
with our products or products of divested businesses for which 
we are responsible, we nevertheless believe we have meritorious 
defenses, in substantial part due to the integrity of the products, 
the encapsulated nature of any asbestos-containing components, 
and the lack of any impairing medical condition on the part of many 
claimants. We defend those cases vigorously. Historically, we have 
been dismissed from the vast majority of these claims with no 
payment to claimants.

additionally,  we  have  maintained  insurance  coverage  that 
includes  indemnity  and  defense  costs,  over  and  above  self-
insured retentions, for many of these claims. We believe these 
arrangements will provide substantial coverage for future defense 
and indemnity costs for these asbestos claims throughout the 

NOtE 18.  leaSeS

We have operating leases primarily for real estate, vehicles and 
equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms from less than 
one year to approximately 17 years. We do not have a material 
amount of finance leases.

We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under 
the transition guidance within the new standard on accounting for 

leases, which allows the company to carry forward the historical 
assessments of whether contracts are, or contain, leases, lease 
classification and initial direct costs. We also elected to not record 
lease rOu assets or lease liabilities for leases with an original term 
of 12 months or less. We elected to use the remaining lease term 
for purposes of calculating the incremental borrowing rate upon 
transition.

the components of lease expense were as follows (in millions):

Operating lease expense(1)

Variable lease expense(2)

TOTAL LEASE EXPENSE

(1)  Operating lease expense includes short-term lease expense which was not material.
(2)  Variable lease expense includes sublease income which was not material.

2020

104.6

15.6

120.2

$

$

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Part II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

rental expense accounted for under the previous accounting standard was $119.0 million in 2019 and $120.3 million in 2018.

Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows (in millions):

Weighted average remaining lease term

Weighted average discount rate

maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2020, were as follows (in millions):

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

thereafter

total undiscounted lease payments

less imputed interest

TOTAL OPERATING LEASE LIABILITIES

2020

6.3 years

1.84 %

93.7

78.4

60.6

43.0

28.2

83.1

387.0

(22.6)

364.4

$

$

$

undiscounted maturities of operating leases accounted for under the previous accounting standard as of September 30, 2019, were as 
follows (in millions):

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

thereafter

TOTAL MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows (in millions):

cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities

Operating right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations

$

$

$

90.6

72.6

51.8

36.7

26.4

63.8

341.9

2020

103.6

131.2

NOtE 19.  BuSineSS SeGment inFOrmatiOn

rockwell automation, inc. is a global leader in industrial automation 
and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people 
with  the  potential  of  technology  to  expand  what  is  humanly 
possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. 
We determine our operating segments based on the information 
used by our chief operating decision maker, our chief executive 
Officer, to allocate resources and assess performance. Based upon 
this information, we organize our hardware and software products, 
solutions and services into two operating segments: architecture 
& Software and control products & Solutions.

arCHItECtUrE & SOFtWarE

the  architecture  &  Software  operating  segment  contains  a 
comprehensive portfolio of automation and information platforms, 
including hardware and software. this integrated portfolio is 
capable of controlling our customers’ industrial processes and 
manufacturing, as well as providing connections to enterprise 
business systems.

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Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

zz Value-added solutions ranging from pre-configured line to 
load power solutions, packaged drives, motor control centers, 
intelligent packaged power and engineered to order automation 
equipment solutions. 

zz professional lifecycle services combine technology and domain 
expertise to help maximize customers’ automation investment 
and provide total lifecycle support as they design, build, sustain 
and optimize their automation investments. this broad portfolio 
includes safety, security and digital transformation consulting, 
global automation and information project delivery capabilities, 
plant  network,  cloud,  and  cybersecurity  services,  asset 
management and predictive analytics, and remote, on-site and 
managed support services.

Starting  in  fiscal  2021,  we  have  three  operating  segments: 
intelligent devices, Software & control, and lifecycle Services. 
the intelligent devices segment includes drives, motion, safety, 
sensing,  industrial  components,  and  configured-to-order 
products.  the  Software  &  control  segment  includes  control 
and visualization software and hardware, information software, 
and network and security infrastructure. the lifecycle Services 
segment includes consulting, professional services and solutions, 
connected services, and maintenance services, as well as the 
Sensia joint venture.

Our automation platform is multi-discipline and scalable with 
the ability to handle applications in discrete, batch/hybrid and 
continuous process, drives control, motion control, machine 
safety and process safety. Our products include programmable 
automation  controllers,  design,  visualization  and  simulation 
software,  human  machine  interface  products,  networking 
products,  industrial  computers,  sensing  devices,  machine 
safety devices, motion control products, and independent cart 
technology products.

Our information platform includes manufacturing execution system 
software and analytics software that enables customers to improve 
operational productivity and meet regulatory requirements. this 
platform enables enterprise visibility, reduction of unplanned 
downtime, and optimization of processes.

CONtrOL PrODUCtS & SOLUtIONS

the control products & Solutions operating segment combines a 
comprehensive portfolio of intelligent motor control and industrial 
control products, value-added solutions and a complete portfolio 
of professionally delivered lifecycle services. this comprehensive 
portfolio includes:

zz low and medium voltage electro-mechanical and electronic 
motor starters and ac/dc variable frequency drives, motor 
control  and  circuit  protection  devices,  operator  devices, 
signaling devices, termination and protection devices, relays 
and timers and electrical control accessories.

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ITEM 8.  Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

PART II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

the following tables reflect the sales and operating results of our reportable segments (in millions):

Sales:

architecture & Software

control products & Solutions

TOTAL

Segment operating earnings:

architecture & Software

control products & Solutions

total

purchase accounting depreciation and amortization

General corporate - net

non-operating pension and postretirement benefit (cost) credit

costs related to unsolicited emerson proposals

Gain (loss) on investments

Valuation adjustments related to the registration of ptc Shares

interest (expense) income - net

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

$

$

$

2020

2019

2018

2,832.9

$

3,021.9

$

3,496.9

3,672.9

6,329.8

$

6,694.8

$

3,050.2

3,615.8

6,666.0

795.2

$

874.8

$

462.7

1,257.9

(41.4)

(98.9)

(37.4)

—

153.9

—

(98.0)

598.8

1,473.6

(16.6)

(108.8)

8.4

—

(402.2)

33.7

(87.1)

897.9

543.9

1,441.8

(17.4)

(100.0)

(23.8)

(11.2)

123.7

(33.7)

(48.6)

$

1,136.1

$

901.0 $

1,330.8

among  other  considerations,  we  evaluate  performance  and 
allocate  resources  based  upon  segment  operating  earnings 
before  purchase  accounting  depreciation  and  amortization, 
costs related to corporate offices, certain corporate initiatives, 
costs related to the unsolicited emerson proposals in the first 
quarter of fiscal 2018, non-operating pension and postretirement 
benefit credit (cost), gains and losses on investments, valuation 
adjustments related to the registration of ptc Shares, interest 

(expense)  income  -  net,  income  taxes,  and  gains  and  losses 
from the disposition of businesses. depending on the product, 
intersegment sales within a single legal entity are either at cost or 
cost plus a mark-up, which does not necessarily represent a market 
price. Sales between legal entities are at an appropriate transfer 
price. We allocate costs related to shared segment operating 
activities to the segments using a methodology consistent with 
the expected benefit.

the following tables summarize the identifiable assets at September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 and the provision for depreciation and 
amortization and the amount of capital expenditures for property for the years then ended for each of the reportable segments and 
corporate (in millions):

identifiable assets:

architecture & Software

control products & Solutions

corporate

TOTAL

depreciation and amortization:

architecture & Software

control products & Solutions

corporate

total

purchase accounting depreciation and amortization

TOTAL

capital expenditures for property:

architecture & Software

control products & Solutions

corporate

TOTAL

74

2020

2019

2018

1,793.6 $

1,410.5 $

2,791.0

2,680.1

2,114.8

2,587.7

7,264.7 $

6,113.0 $

1,788.9

2,094.9

2,378.2

6,262.0

61.5 $

63.8 $

68.0

1.8

131.3

41.4

69.6

2.2

135.6

16.6

172.7 $

152.2 $

33.3 $

57.7 $

61.6

19.0

68.9

6.2

113.9 $

132.8 $

72.5

72.4

2.3

147.2

17.4

164.6

29.4

38.5

57.6

125.5

$

$

$

$

$

$

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
Item 8. Financial StatementS and Supplementary data

identifiable  assets  at  corporate  consist  principally  of  cash, 
net deferred income tax assets, prepaid pension and property. 
property shared by the segments and used in operating activities 
is also reported in corporate identifiable assets and corporate 
capital  expenditures.  corporate  identifiable  assets  include 
shared net property balances of $258.2 million, $244.7 million and 

$234.4 million at September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, 
for which depreciation expense has been allocated to segment 
operating earnings based on the expected benefit to be realized 
by  each  segment.  corporate  capital  expenditures  include 
$19.0 million, $6.2 million and $57.6 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, 
respectively, that will be shared by our operating segments.

We conduct a significant portion of our business activities outside the united States. the following tables present sales and property 
by geographic region (in millions):

north america

$

3,760.2

$

4,014.3

$

3,964.1

$

429.4

$

443.8

$

Sales

Property

2020

2019

2018

2020

2019

europe, middle east and africa

asia pacific

latin america

TOTAL

1,249.3

868.7

451.6

1,249.8

908.6

522.1

1,286.8

933.3

481.8

81.9

42.8

20.3

60.5

41.9

25.7

$

6,329.8

$

6,694.8

$

6,666.0

$

574.4 $

571.9

$

576.8

2018

450.2

53.3

42.9

30.4

We attribute sales to the geographic regions based on the country 
of destination. Sales in north america include $3,425.1 million 
related to the u.S.

in  most  countries,  we  sell  primarily  through  independent 
distributors in conjunction with our direct sales force. in other 
countries, we sell through a combination of our direct sales 

force and to a lesser extent, through independent distributors. 
We sell large systems and service offerings principally through 
our  direct  sales  force,  though  opportunities  are  sometimes 
identified through distributors. Sales to our largest distributor in 
2020, 2019 and 2018, which are attributable to both segments, 
were approximately 10 percent of our total sales.

NOTE 20.  Quarterly Financial inFOrmatiOn (unaudited)

(in millions, except per share amounts)

First

Second

Third

Fourth

2020 Quarters

Sales

Gross profit

income before income taxes

net income attributable to rockwell 
automation, inc.

earnings per share:

Basic

diluted

$

1,684.5

$

1,681.3 $

1,394.0 $

1,570.0 $

702.9

334.6

310.7

2.68

2.66

554.2

334.5

317.8

2.74

2.73

698.8

167.4

132.2

1.14

1.13

2019 Quarters

639.3

299.6

262.7

2.26

2.25

(in millions, except per share amounts)

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Sales

Gross profit

income before income taxes

net income

earnings per share:

Basic

diluted

$

1,642.3

$

1,657.2 $

1,665.1 $

1,730.2 $

738.7

120.8

80.3

0.67

0.66

708.2

402.4

346.0

2.91

2.88

730.3

321.4

261.4

2.22

2.20

722.9

56.4

8.1

0.07

0.07

Note: The sum of the quarterly per share amounts will not necessarily equal the annual per share amounts presented.

2020

6,329.8

2,595.2

1,136.1

1,023.4

8.83

8.77

2019

6,694.8

2,900.1

901.0

695.8

5.88

5.83

75

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
Item 8. repOrt OF independent reGiStered puBlic accOuntinG Firm

repOrt OF independent reGiStered puBlic accOuntinG Firm

to the Shareowners and the Board of directors of 
rockwell automation, inc. 
milwaukee, Wisconsin

OpiniOnS On tHe Financial StatementS and internal cOntrOl OVer 
Financial repOrtinG

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets 
of rockwell automation, inc. and subsidiaries (the “company”) as 
of September 30, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated 
statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows, 
and shareowners’ equity for each of the three years in the period 
ended September 30, 2020, and the related notes and the schedule 
listed in the index at item 15 (a)(2) (collectively referred to as the 
“financial statements”). We also have audited the company’s internal 
control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2020, based 
on criteria established in internal control — integrated Framework 
(2013) issued by the committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 
treadway commission (cOSO).

in our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred 
to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial 
position of the company as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, and 
the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the 
three years in the period ended September 30, 2020, in conformity 
with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  united 
States of america. also, in our opinion, the company maintained, 
in all material respects, effective internal control over financial 
reporting as of September 30, 2020, based on criteria established 
in internal control — integrated Framework (2013) issued by cOSO.

cHanGe in accOuntinG principle
as discussed in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the company has changed its method of accounting for leases 
effective October 1, 2019, due to the adoption of accounting Standards update (aSu) no. 2016-02, leases (topic 842), using the modified 
retrospective approach.

BaSiS FOr OpiniOnS

the company’s management is responsible for these financial 
statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial 
reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal 
control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying 
management’s report on internal control over Financial reporting. 
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial 
statements and financial statement schedule and an opinion on the 
company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our 
audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the public 
company accounting Oversight Board (united States) (pcaOB) and 
are required to be independent with respect to the company in 
accordance with the u.S. federal securities laws and the applicable 
rules and regulations of the Securities and exchange commission 
and the pcaOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the 
pcaOB. those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial 
statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to 

error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial 
reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our  audits  of  the  financial  statements  included  performing 
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the 
financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing 
procedures to respond to those risks. Such procedures included 
examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts 
and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also 
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant 
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall 
presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control 
over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of 
internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a 
material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and 
operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed 
risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as 
we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our 
audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

deFinitiOn and limitatiOnS OF internal cOntrOl OVer Financial repOrtinG

a company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process 
designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability 
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements 
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles. a company’s internal control over financial 
reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to 

the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately 
and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of 
the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions 
are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting 
principles and that receipts and expenditures of the company are 

76

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
Item 8. repOrt OF independent reGiStered puBlic accOuntinG Firm

being made only in accordance with authorizations of management 
and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance 
regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized 
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could 
have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial 
reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. also, projections 
of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to 
the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes 
in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or 
procedures may deteriorate.

critical audit matterS

the  critical  audit  matters  communicated  below  are  matters 
arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements 
that were communicated or required to be communicated to the 
audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures 
that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our 
especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. the 

communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way 
our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and 
we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, 
providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the 
accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

acQuiSitiOnS - SenSia JOint Venture (ValuatiOn OF cuStOmer relatiOnSHip 
aSSetS) - reFer tO nOte 4 tO tHe Financial StatementS

CRITICAL AUDIT MATTER DESCRIPTION

in  conjunction  with  the  Sensia  joint  venture  formation,  the 
company  applied  the  acquisition  method  of  accounting  to 
Schlumberger’s contributed businesses. accordingly, the purchase 
price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed 
based on their respective fair values, including intangible assets of 
$254 million, of which $189 million related to customer relationship 
assets. management estimated the fair value of the customer 
relationships using the income approach, specifically the multi-
period excess earnings method. the fair value determination 
of the customer relationships required management to make 
significant estimates and assumptions related to forecasted cash 
flows attributable to the existing customers, customer attrition 
rates, and discount rates.

attrition rates ranging from 7.5% to 25% were used in valuing the 
customer relationship assets. a change in the customer attrition 
rate of 250 basis points would result in a change of $40 million in 
intangible assets.

We identified the purchase accounting valuation of customer 
relationships as a critical audit matter due to subjective judgment 
required to evaluate the significant estimates made in determining 
fair value, including the need to involve our fair value specialists, 
when performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness 
of  management’s  key  assumptions  and  estimates  related  to 
forecasts of cash flows attributable to the existing customers, 
customer attrition rates and discount rates.

HOW THE CRITICAL AUDIT MATTER WAS 
ADDRESSED IN THE AUDIT

Our  audit  procedures  related  to  the  fair  value  of  customer 
relationship  assets  contributed  by  Schlumberger  to  Sensia 
included the following, among others:

•• We tested the effectiveness of controls over the valuation 
of  the  customer  relationship  intangible  assets,  including 
management’s controls over the development of key judgments 
including forecasts of future cash flows and customer attrition 
rates and discount rates. 

•• We assessed the reasonableness of the forecasts of future cash 
flows attributable to the existing customers by comparing the 
projections to historical results, industry data, and certain peer 
companies. 

•• With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluated 
the  reasonableness  of  the  (1)  valuation  methodology;  (2) 
customer attrition rates by testing the mathematical accuracy 
of the rate used and comparing it to historical customer attrition 
data; and (3) discount rates, which included testing the source 
information underlying the determination of the discount rates, 
testing the mathematical accuracy of the calculations, and 
developing a range of independent estimates and comparing 
those to the discount rates selected by management. 

77

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
Item 8. repOrt OF independent reGiStered puBlic accOuntinG Firm

GOOdWill ValuatiOn - SenSia repOrtinG unit - reFer tO nOte 3 tO tHe 
Financial StatementS

CRITICAL AUDIT MATTER DESCRIPTION

the company performed an impairment evaluation of the goodwill 
for the Sensia reporting unit by comparing the estimated fair value 
of the reporting unit to its carrying value. in order to estimate 
the fair value of the reporting unit, management is required 
to make significant estimates and assumptions related to the 
discount rate and forecasts of future revenues and earnings 
Before interest taxes depreciation & amortization (“eBitda”) 
margins. changes in these assumptions could have a significant 
impact on the fair value of the reporting unit, the amount of any 
goodwill impairment charge, or both. the goodwill balance was 
$1,650 million as of September 30, 2020, of which $314 million 
related  to  the  Sensia  reporting  unit.  the  company  tests  for 
goodwill impairment during the second quarter of each year. as 
of the annual measurement date, the company determined that 
the fair value of the Sensia reporting unit exceeded its carrying 
value and therefore no impairment was recognized.

We  identified  the  impairment  evaluation  of  goodwill  for  the 
Sensia reporting unit as a critical audit matter because of the 
inherent subjectivity involved in management’s estimates and 
assumptions related to the discount rate and forecasts of future 
revenues and eBitda margins. the audit procedures to evaluate 
the reasonableness of management’s estimates and assumptions 
related to the selection of the discount rate and forecasts of future 
revenues and eBitda margins required a high degree of auditor 
judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to 
involve our fair value specialists.

HOW THE CRITICAL AUDIT MATTER WAS 
ADDRESSED IN THE AUDIT

Our audit procedures related to the selection of the discount 
rate and forecasts of future revenues and eBitda margins for 
the Sensia reporting unit included the following, among others:

•• We tested the effectiveness of controls over management’s 
goodwill  impairment  evaluation,  including  those  over  the 
selection of the discount rate and management’s development 
of forecasts of future revenues and eBitda margins.

•• We evaluated the reasonableness of management’s forecasts 
by comparing the forecasts to (1) historical results, (2) internal 
communications to management and the Board of directors, 
and (3) forecasted information included in analyst and industry 
reports for the company and its peer companies, including the 
impact of economic factors on Sensia’s Oil & Gas customers.
•• We evaluated the impact of changes in management’s forecasts 
from the annual measurement date to September 30, 2020.
•• With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluated 
the reasonableness of the discount rate by (1) testing the source 
information underlying the determination of the discount rate; 
(2) testing the mathematical accuracy of the calculations; and 
(3) developing a range of independent estimates and comparing 
those to the discount rate selected by management.

/s/ delOitte & tOucHe llp

milwaukee, Wisconsin 
november 10, 2020

We have served as the company’s auditor since 1967.

78

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART II
item 9B. OtHer inFOrmatiOn

ITEM 9.  cHanGeS in and diSaGreementS WitH accOuntantS 

On accOuntinG and Financial diSclOSure

none.

ITEM 9A.  cOntrOlS and prOcedureS

eValuatiOn OF diSclOSure cOntrOlS and prOcedureS

under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our 
management, including the chief executive Officer and chief 
Financial Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness, as of 
September 30, 2020, of our disclosure controls and procedures, 

as defined in rule 13a-15(e) and rule 15d-15(e) under the exchange 
act. Based on that evaluation, our chief executive Officer and 
chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls 
and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2020.

manaGement’S repOrt On internal cOntrOl OVer Financial repOrtinG

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  as  defined  in  rule 
13a-15(f)  under  the  exchange  act.  Our  internal  control  over 
financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable 
assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and 
the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in 
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. under 
the supervision and with the participation of our management, 
including the chief executive Officer and chief Financial Officer, 
we evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial 
reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated 
Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the treadway commission (cOSO). Based on that 

evaluation, management has concluded that our internal control 
over financial reporting was effective as of September 30, 2020.

the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, 
as of September 30, 2020, has been audited by deloitte & touche 
llp, as stated in their report that is included on the previous page.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial 
reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are 
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with 
the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

cHanGeS in internal cOntrOl OVer Financial repOrtinG

there has not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in rule 13a-15(f) under the exchange 
act) during the fiscal quarter to which this report relates that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our 
internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B.  OtHer inFOrmatiOn

none.

79

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTpart iii

ITEM 10.   directOrS, eXecutiVe OFFicerS and cOrpOrate 

GOVernance

Other than the information below, the information required by 
this item 10 is incorporated by reference to the sections entitled 
Corporate Governance, Election of Directors, and Stock Ownership 
Information in the proxy Statement.

no nominee for director was selected pursuant to any arrangement 
or understanding between the nominee and any person other 
than the company pursuant to which such person is or was to be 
selected as a director or nominee. See also the information about 
executive officers of the company under item 4a of part i.

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our executive 
officers,  including  the  principal  executive  officer,  principal 
financial  officer  and  principal  accounting  officer.  a  copy 
of  our  code  of  conduct  is  posted  on  our  internet  site  at 
https://www.rockwellautomation.com under the “investors” link. 
in the event that we amend or grant any waiver from a provision 
of the code of ethics that applies to the principal executive 
officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer 
and that requires disclosure under applicable Sec rules, we 
intend to disclose such amendment or waiver and the reasons 
therefor on our internet site.

ITEM 11.  eXecutiVe cOmpenSatiOn

the information required by this item 11 is incorporated by reference to the sections entitled Executive Compensation, Election of 
Directors, Corporate Governance, and Compensation Committee Report in the proxy Statement.

ITEM 12.   Security OWnerSHip OF certain BeneFicial OWnerS 

and manaGement and related StOcKHOlder matterS

Other than the information below, the information required by this 
item 12 is incorporated by reference to the section entitled Stock 
Ownership Information in the proxy Statement.

the following table provides information, as of September 30, 2020, 
about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of 
options, warrants and rights granted to employees, consultants 
or directors under all of our existing equity compensation plans.

Plan Category

Number of Securities 
to be issued 
upon Exercise of 
Outstanding Options, 
Warrants and Rights
(a)

Weighted Average  
Exercise Price of 
Outstanding Options, 
Warrants and Rights
(b)

Number of Securities 
Remaining Available for 
Future Issuance under 
Equity Compensation Plans 
(excluding Securities reflected 
in Column (a))
(c)

equity compensation plans approved by shareowners

3,711,531(1)

equity compensation plans not approved by 
shareowners

TOTAL

—

3,711,531

$

$

164.81(2)

n/a

164.81

12,930,531(3)

—

12,930,531

(1)  Represents outstanding options, shares issuable in payment of outstanding performance shares (at maximum payout) and restricted stock units under our 

2020 Long-Term Incentives Plan, 2012 Long-Term Incentives Plan, 2008 Long-Term Incentives Plan, and 2003 Directors Stock Plan.

(2)  Represents the weighted average exercise price of outstanding options and does not take into account the performance shares and restricted stock units.
(3)  Represents shares available for future issuance under our 2020 Long-Term Incentives Plan.

80

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART III
item 14.  principal accOuntant FeeS and SerViceS

ITEM 13.    certain relatiOnSHipS and related tranSactiOnS, 

and directOr independence

the information required by this item 13 is incorporated by reference to the sections entitled Corporate Governance and Election of 
Directors in the proxy Statement.

ITEM 14.   principal accOuntant FeeS and SerViceS

the information required by this item 14 is incorporated by reference to the section entitled Audit Matters in the proxy Statement.

81

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTpart iV

ITEM 15.   eXHiBitS and Financial Statement ScHedule

(a) Financial Statements, Financial Statement Schedule and exhibits

(1) Financial Statements (all financial statements listed below are those of the company and its consolidated subsidiaries)

consolidated Balance Sheet, September 30, 2020 and 2019

consolidated Statement of Operations, years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018

consolidated Statement of comprehensive income, years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018

consolidated Statement of cash Flows, years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018

consolidated Statement of Shareowners’ equity, years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018

notes to consolidated Financial Statements

report of independent registered public accounting Firm

(2) Financial Statement Schedule for the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018

Schedule ii—Valuation and Qualifying accounts

 Schedules not filed herewith are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the 
information called for is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

(3) exhibits

Page

34

35

36

37

38

39

76

Page

87

3-a

3-b

4-a-1

4-a-2

4-a-3

4-a-4

4-a-5

4-a-6

4-a-7

4-a-8

restated certificate of incorporation of the company, filed as exhibit 3 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for 
the quarter ended march 31, 2002, is hereby incorporated by reference.

By-laws of the company, as amended and restated effective June 8, 2016, filed as exhibit 3.2 to the company’s current 
report on Form 8-K dated June 10, 2016, are hereby incorporated by reference.

indenture dated as of december 1, 1996 between the company and the Bank of new york trust company, n.a. (formerly 
Jpmorgan chase, successor to the chase manhattan Bank, successor to mellon Bank, n.a.), as trustee, filed as exhibit 4-a to 
registration Statement no. 333-43071, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 6.70% debentures due January 15, 2028, filed as exhibit 4-b to the company’s current 
report on Form 8-K dated January 26, 1998, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 5.20% debentures due January 15, 2098, filed as exhibit 4-c to the company’s current 
report on Form 8-K dated January 26, 1998, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 6.25% debentures due december 31, 2037, filed as exhibit 4.2 to the company’s current 
report on Form 8-K dated december 3, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 2.050% notes due march 1, 2020, filed as exhibit 4.1 to the company’s current report 
on Form 8-K dated February 17, 2015, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 2.875% notes due march 1, 2025, filed as exhibit 4.2 to the company’s current report 
on Form 8-K dated February 17, 2015, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 3.500% notes due march 1, 2029, filed as exhibit 4.1 to the company’s current report on 
Form 8-K dated march 1, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of certificate for the company’s 4.200% notes due march 1, 2049, filed as exhibit 4.2 to the company’s current report 
on Form 8-K dated march 1, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

82

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
item 15.  eXHiBitS and Financial Statement ScHedule

4-a-9

description of the company’s Securities filed as exhibit 4-a-9 to the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year 
ended September 30, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-1

copy of the company’s 2003 directors Stock plan, filed as exhibit 4-d to the company’s registration Statement on Form S-8 
(no. 333-101780), is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-2 memorandum of amendments to the company’s 2003 directors Stock plan approved and adopted by the Board of directors 
of the company on april 25, 2003, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
June 30, 2003, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-3 memorandum of amendments to the company’s 2003 directors Stock plan approved and adopted by the Board of directors of 
the company on november 7, 2007, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
december 31, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-4 memorandum of amendments to the company’s 2003 directors Stock plan approved and adopted by the Board of directors of 

the company on September 3, 2008, filed as exhibit 10-b-16 to the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
September 30, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-5

*10-a-6

Form of restricted Stock unit agreement under Section 6 of the company’s 2003 director’s Stock plan, as amended, filed as 
exhibit 10.3 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended march 31, 2008, is hereby incorporated by 
reference.

copy of the company’s directors deferred compensation plan approved and adopted by the Board of directors of the 
company on november 5, 2008, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
december 31, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-a-7

Summary of non-employee director compensation and Benefits as of October 1, 2020.

*10-b-1

*10-b-2

*10-b-3

*10-b-4

*10-b-5

*10-b-6

*10-b-7

*10-b-8

*10-b-9

copy of the company’s 2008 long-term incentives plan, as amended and restated through June 4, 2010, filed as exhibit 99 to 
the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated June 10, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of Stock Option agreement under the company’s 2008 long-term incentives plan, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s 
Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Forms of Stock Option agreement under the company’s 2008 long-term incentives plan for options granted to executive 
officers of the company after december 1, 2008, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the 
quarter ended december 31, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of Stock Option agreement under the company’s 2008 long-term incentives plan, as amended, for options granted to 
executive officers of the company after december 6, 2010, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of Stock Option agreement under the company’s 2008 long-term incentives plan, as amended, for options granted to 
executive officers of the company after november 30, 2011, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 2011, is hereby incorporated by reference.

copy of the company’s 2012 long-term incentives plan, as amended and restated through February 2, 2016, filed as exhibit 4-c 
to the company’s registration Statement on Form S-8 (no. 333-209706), is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of Stock Option agreement under the company’s 2012 long-term incentives plan for options granted to executive 
officers of the company after december 5, 2012, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the 
quarter ended december 31, 2012, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of restricted Stock agreement under the company’s 2012 long-term incentives plan for shares of restricted stock 
awarded to executive officers of the company after december 5, 2012, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the company’s Quarterly report 
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 2012 is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of performance Share agreement under the company’s 2012 long-term incentives plan for performance shares 
awarded to executive officers of the company after december 5, 2012, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the company’s Quarterly report 
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 2012 is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-b-10

Form of restricted Stock agreement under the company’s 2012 long-term incentives plan for certain awards of shares 
of restricted stock to executive officers of the company after October 29, 2019, filed as exhibit 10-b-10 to the company’s 
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-b-11

copy of the company’s 2020 long-term incentives plan filed as appendix a to the company’s definitive proxy Statement for 
the 2020 annual meeting of Shareowners is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-b-12

Form of restricted Stock agreement under the company’s 2020 long-term incentives plan for certain awards of shares of 
restricted stock to executive officers of the company filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for 
the quarter ended June 30, 2020, is hereby incorporated by reference.

83

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
item 15.  eXHiBitS and Financial Statement ScHedule

*10-b-13

*10-b-14

Form of restricted Stock unit agreement under the company’s 2020 long-term incentives plan for certain awards of 
restricted stock units to executive officers of the company.

Form of Global restricted Stock unit agreement under the company’s 2020 long-term incentives plan for certain awards of 
restricted stock units to executive officers of the company after december 9, 2020.

*10-c-1

copy of the company’s deferred compensation plan, as amended and restated September 6, 2006, filed as exhibit 10-f to the 
company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-c-2 memorandum of proposed amendment and restatement of the company’s deferred compensation plan approved and 
adopted by the Board of directors of the company on november 7, 2007, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the company’s Quarterly 
report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-d-1

copy of the company’s incentive compensation plan effective October 1, 2020.

*10-d-2

*10-e-1

*10-e-2

*10-e-3

*10-e-4

*10-e-5

copy of the company’s annual incentive compensation plan for Senior executive Officers, as amended december 3, 2003, 
filed as exhibit 10-i-1 to the company’s annual report for the year ended September 30, 2004, is hereby incorporated by 
reference.

change of control agreement dated as of September 30, 2019 between the company and Blake d. moret, filed as exhibit 99.1 
to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated October 1, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Form of change of control agreement between the company and each of patrick p. Goris, Frank c. Kulaszewicz, and Sujeet 
chand and certain other officers filed as exhibit 99.2 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated October 1, 2019, is 
hereby incorporated by reference.

letter agreement dated September 3, 2009 between registrant and theodore d. crandall, filed as exhibit 99.2 to the 
company’s current report on Form 8-K dated September 8, 2009, is hereby incorporated by reference.

letter agreement dated July 1, 2016 between registrant and Blake d. moret, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the company’s Quarterly 
report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, is hereby incorporated by reference.

letter agreement dated February 7, 2017 between registrant and patrick p. Goris, filed as exhibit 10 to the company’s 
Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended march 31, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.

*10-f

rockwell automation consultant agreement, dated as of February 20, 2019, between the company and theodore crandall, 
filed as exhibit 99 to the company's current report on Form 8-K dated February 22, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.

10-g-1

10-g-2

10-g-3

10-h-1

10-h-2

10-h-3

10-i-1

10-i-2

agreement and plan of distribution dated as of december 6, 1996, among rockwell international corporation (renamed Boeing 
north american, inc.), the company (formerly named new rockwell international corporation), allen-Bradley company, inc., 
rockwell collins, inc., rockwell Semiconductor Systems, inc., rockwell light Vehicle Systems, inc. and rockwell Heavy 
Vehicle Systems, inc., filed as exhibit l0-b to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended december 
31, 1996, is hereby incorporated by reference.

post-closing covenants agreement dated as of december 6, 1996, among rockwell international corporation (renamed 
Boeing north american, inc.), the Boeing company, Boeing na, inc. and the company (formerly named new rockwell 
international corporation), filed as exhibit 10-c to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
december 31, 1996, is hereby incorporated by reference.

tax allocation agreement dated as of december 6, 1996, among rockwell international corporation (renamed Boeing north 
american, inc.), the company (formerly named new rockwell international corporation) and the Boeing company, filed as 
exhibit 10-d to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended december 31, 1996, is hereby incorporated 
by reference.

distribution agreement dated as of September 30, 1997 by and between the company and meritor automotive, inc., filed as 
exhibit 2.1 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated October 10, 1997, is hereby incorporated by reference.

employee matters agreement dated as of September 30, 1997 by and between the company and meritor automotive, inc., filed 
as exhibit 2.2 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated October 10, 1997, is hereby incorporated by reference.

tax allocation agreement dated as of September 30, 1997 by and between the company and meritor automotive, inc., filed as 
exhibit 2.3 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated October 10, 1997, is hereby incorporated by reference.

distribution agreement dated as of June 29, 2001 by and among the company, rockwell collins, inc. and rockwell Scientific 
company llc, filed as exhibit 2.1 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated July 11, 2001, is hereby incorporated by 
reference.

employee matters agreement dated as of June 29, 2001 by and among the company, rockwell collins, inc. and rockwell 
Scientific company llc, filed as exhibit 2.2 to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated July 11, 2001, is hereby 
incorporated by reference.

10-i-3

tax allocation agreement dated as of June 29, 2001 by and between the company and rockwell collins, inc., filed as exhibit 2.3 
to the company’s current report on Form 8-K dated July 11, 2001, is hereby incorporated by reference.

84

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
item 16. FOrm 10-K Summary

10-j-1

10-j-2

10-k

10-l-1

10-l-2

10-m-1

10-m-2

21

23

24

31.1

31.2

$1,250,000,000 Five-year credit agreement dated as of november 13, 2018 among the company, the Banks listed on the 
signature pages thereof, Bank of america, n.a., as administrative agent, filed as exhibit 99 to the company’s current report 
on Form 8-K dated november 15, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference.

$400,000,000 364-day term loan agreement dated as of april 20, 2020, among the company, the Banks listed on the 
signature pages thereof, u.S. Bank national association, as administrative agent, pnc Bank, national association, as 
Syndication agent, and BmO Harris Bank n.a. and td Bank, n.a., as documentation agents, filed as exhibit 99 to the 
company’s current report on Form 8-K dated april 21, 2020, is hereby incorporated by reference.

purchase and Sale agreement dated as of august 24, 2005 by and between the company and First industrial acquisitions, 
inc., including the form of lease agreement attached as exhibit i thereto, together with the First amendment to purchase 
and Sale agreement dated as of September 30, 2005 and the Second amendment to purchase and Sale agreement dated 
as of October 31, 2005, filed as exhibit 10-p to the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 
2005, is hereby incorporated by reference.

purchase agreement, dated as of november 6, 2006, by and among rockwell automation, inc., rockwell automation of Ohio, 
inc., rockwell automation canada control Systems, Grupo industrias reliance S.a. de c.V., rockwell automation GmbH 
(formerly known as rockwell international GmbH) and Baldor electric company, contained in the company’s current report on 
Form 8-K dated november 9, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference.

First amendment to purchase agreement dated as of January 24, 2007 by and among rockwell automation, inc., rockwell 
automation of Ohio, inc., rockwell automation canada control Systems, Grupo industrias reliance S.a. de c.V., rockwell 
automation GmbH and Baldor electric company, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the 
quarter ended march 31, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.

Securities purchase agreement, dated June 11, 2018, between the company and ptc inc., filed as exhibit 10.1 to the 
company’s current report on Form 8-K dated June 11, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference.

registration rights agreement dated July 19, 2018, between the company and ptc inc., filed as exhibit 10.1 to the company’s 
current report on Form 8-K dated as July 20, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference.

list of Subsidiaries of the company.

consent of independent registered public accounting Firm.

powers of attorney authorizing certain persons to sign this annual report on Form 10-K on behalf of certain directors and 
officers of the company.

certification of periodic report by the chief executive Officer pursuant to rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities exchange  
act of 1934.

certification of periodic report by the chief Financial Officer pursuant to rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities exchange  
act of 1934.

32.1

certification of periodic report by the chief executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002.

32.2

certification of periodic report by the chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002.

101

interactive data Files.

*  Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

ITEM 16.  FOrm 10-K Summary

none.

85

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
SiGnatureS

SiGnatureS

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report 
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

rOcKWell autOmatiOn, inc.

By

/s/ patricK p. GOriS

patrick p. Goris

Senior Vice president and

chief Financial Officer

dated: november 10, 2020

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below on the 10th day of November 
2020 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.

By

/s/ patricK p. GOriS

Patrick P. Goris

Senior Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

By

/s/ terry l. rieSterer

Terry L. Riesterer

Vice President and Controller

(Principal Accounting Officer)

Blake d. moret*

Chairman of the Board, President and

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

and Director

J. phillip Holloman*

Director

Steven r. Kalmanson*

Director

James p. Keane*

Director

lawrence d. Kingsley*

Director

pam murphy*

Director

donald r. parfet*

Director

lisa a. payne*

Director

thomas W. rosamilia*

Director

patricia a. Watson*

Director

*By

/s/ reBecca W. HOuSe

Rebecca W. House, Attorney-in-fact**

**By

authority of powers of attorney filed herewith

86

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV

ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

PART IV
SCHEDULE II

SCHEDULE II

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, INC.

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, 2019 AND 2018

(in millions)

Description

Year ended September 30, 2020

Allowance for doubtful accounts(a)

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

Year ended September 30, 2019

Allowance for doubtful accounts(a)

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

Year ended September 30, 2018

Allowance for doubtful accounts(a)

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

Additions

Balance at 
Beginning 
of Year

Charged to 
Costs and 
Expenses

Charged  
to Other 
Accounts

Deductions(b)

Balance at
End of Year

$

$

$

17.4 $

7.0 $

1.1 $

10.3 $

93.8

3.0

0.2

39.0

17.1 $

6.1 $

27.0

69.3

24.9 $

0.1 $

18.6

8.9

— $

—

— $

—

5.8 $

2.5

7.9 $

0.5

15.2

58.0

17.4

93.8

17.1

27.0

Includes allowances for current and other long-term receivables.

(a) 
(b)  Consists of amounts written off for the allowance for doubtful accounts and adjustments resulting from our ability to utilize foreign tax credits, capital losses, 

or net operating loss carryforwards for which a valuation allowance had previously been recorded.

87

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

INDEX TO EXHIBITS *

Exhibit No.

Exhibit

**10-a-7

Summary of Non-Employee Director Compensation and Benefits as of October 1, 2020.

**10-b-13

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Company’s 2020 Long-Term Incentives Plan for certain awards of 
restricted stock units to executive officers of the Company.

**10-b-14

Form of Global Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Company’s 2020 Long-Term Incentives Plan for certain awards of 
restricted stock units to executive officers of the Company after December 9, 2020.

**10-d-1

Copy of the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan effective October 1, 2020.

21

23

24

31.1

31.2

List of Subsidiaries of the Company.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Powers of Attorney authorizing certain persons to sign this Annual Report on Form 10-K on behalf of certain directors and 
officers of the Company.

Certification of Periodic Report by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934.

Certification of Periodic Report by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934.

32.1

Certification of Periodic Report by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.2

Certification of Periodic Report by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101

Interactive Data Files.

* See Part IV, Item 15(a)(3) for exhibits incorporated by reference.
** Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

88

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
EXHIBIT 31.1

EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Blake D. Moret, certify that:

1. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Rockwell Automation, Inc.;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary 
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect 
to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material 
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this 
report;

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures 
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange 
Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under 
our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made 
known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed 
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of 
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions 
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on 
such evaluation; and

d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s 
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or 
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial 
reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the 
equivalent functions):

a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which 
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; 
and

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s 

internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 10, 2020

/s/ BLAKE D. MORET

Blake D. Moret 
President and Chief 
Executive Officer

89

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORT 
PART IV
EXHIBIT 31.2

EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Patrick P. Goris, certify that:

1. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Rockwell Automation, Inc.;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary 
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect 
to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material 
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this 
report;

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures 
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange 
Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under 
our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made 
known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed 
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of 
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions 
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on 
such evaluation; and

d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s 
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or 
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial 
reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the 
equivalent functions):

a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which 
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; 
and

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s 

internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 10, 2020

/s/ PATRICK P. GORIS

Patrick P. Goris 
Senior Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer

90

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORT 
PART IV
EXHIBIT 32.1

EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF PERIODIC REPORT

I, Blake D. Moret, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (the “Company”) certify, pursuant to Section 906 
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:

(1)  the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended September 30, 2020 (the “Report”) fully complies with the 

requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)  the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations 

of the Company.

Date: November 10, 2020

/s/ BLAKE D. MORET

Blake D. Moret 
President and Chief 
Executive Officer

91

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTPART IV
EXHIBIT 32.2

EXHIBIT 32.2

CERTIFICATION OF PERIODIC REPORT

I, Patrick P. Goris, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (the “Company”) certify, pursuant to 
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:

(1)  the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended September 30, 2020 (the “Report”) fully complies with the 

requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)  the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations 

of the Company. 

Date: November 10, 2020

/s/ PATRICK P. GORIS

Patrick P. Goris 
Senior Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer

92

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION  ❘  2020 ANNUAL REPORTRockwell Automation, Inc.
1201 South Second Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204, USA

www.rockwellautomation.com