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HON vs. ROK: Honeywell vs. Rockwell Automation Stock Comparison

How do Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but HON is classified in Industrial Conglomerates while ROK is classified in Electrical Equipment.

Company profile comparison for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
Profile ItemHONROK
NameHoneywell International Inc.Rockwell Automation Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryIndustrial ConglomeratesElectrical Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryIndustrial ConglomeratesElectrical Components & Equipment
Market Capitalization69.74 billion USD41.82 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateJanuary 2, 1962December 31, 1981
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

HON
ROK
GSPC
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Total Return (1Y)14.14%6.19%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)9.90%16.94%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)2.32%4.86%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

HON
ROK
GSPC
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)27.11%34.28%
Beta (5Y)0.801.54
Max Drawdown (5Y)-25.21%-45.09%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.82M799.28K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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HON and ROK are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.360.06
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.520.07

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Honeywell (HON) at 44.39% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 38.73% also sits in the top quartile.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

44.39%

HON
44.39%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

38.73%

Max
40.55%
ROK
38.73%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Honeywell (HON) at 18.68% and Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 15.68% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

18.68%

Max
27.47%
HON
18.68%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

15.68%

Max
27.47%
ROK
15.68%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Honeywell (HON) at 16.92% and Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 14.75% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

16.92%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
HON
16.92%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

14.75%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
ROK
14.75%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
ROE (TTM)44.39%38.73%
ROA (TTM)7.13%9.32%
Net Margin (TTM)18.68%15.68%
Operating Margin (TTM)16.92%14.75%
Gross Margin (TTM)37.21%48.95%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Only one side can be read here: Honeywell (HON) reports revenue growth of 7.85%, ranked against its industry; Rockwell Automation (ROK) has no revenue growth figure this period.

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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 63.49% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Honeywell (HON) at -8.27% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for ROK.

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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Revenue Growth (YoY)7.85%--
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)1.82%--
EPS Growth (YoY)-8.27%63.49%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)3.20%1.62%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 2.11 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Honeywell (HON) at 0.96 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for HON.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

0.96

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
HON
0.96
Min
0.36

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

2.11

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
ROK
2.11
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Honeywell (HON) at 0.76 and Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 1.00 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

0.76

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
HON
0.76
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

1.00

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
ROK
1.00
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.962.11
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.761.00
Net Debt / EBITDA1.231.58

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Rockwell Automation (ROK) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Honeywell (HON) reports a yield of 3.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

3.63%

HON
3.63%
Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

0.00%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
ROK
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Honeywell (HON) at 38.87% and Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 51.03% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

38.87%

Max
67.39%
HON
38.87%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

51.03%

Max
67.39%
ROK
51.03%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
Dividend Yield (TTM)3.63%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)38.87%51.03%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Honeywell (HON) at 10.91 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 29.97 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for HON, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

10.91

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
HON
10.91
Min
3.03

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

29.97

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
ROK
29.97
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Honeywell (HON) at 1.85 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 4.65 sits in the pricier quartile — ROK costs more per dollar of sales.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

1.85

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
HON
1.85
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

4.65

Max
7.54
ROK
4.65
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Honeywell (HON) at 3.12 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Rockwell Automation (ROK) at 11.76 prices above its benchmark range — ROK looks rich relative to book.

HON

Capital Goods industry group

3.12

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
HON
3.12
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

ROK

Capital Goods industry group

11.76

ROK
11.76
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Honeywell (HON) vs. Rockwell Automation (ROK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Honeywell (HON) and Rockwell Automation (ROK)
MetricHONROK
P/E Ratio (TTM)10.9129.97
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.854.65
P/B Ratio (MRQ)3.1211.76
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)10.07%-1.13%