Rockwell Automation vs SYSCO Corporation — how do they compare? Rockwell Automation trades at $466.2 (market cap $51.04B), while SYSCO Corporation trades at $81.33 (market cap $38.63B). The key difference: Rockwell Automation is the larger of the two by market cap, and SYSCO Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ROK | SYY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $51.04B | $38.63B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $495.08 | $91.16 |
52-Week Low | $328.67 | $69.30 |
Enterprise Value | $54.67B | $52.11B |
Dividend Yield | 1.2% | 2.72% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Rockwell Automation (ROK) trades at $464.82, up 0.64% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 48.92% gross margin and 12.45% net margin, though valuation multiples like a 47.63 P/E appear elevated. Recent news highlights growth in industrial automation and AI infrastructure partnerships, including a contract with Aalo Atomics for nuclear reactor control systems (PRNewsWire, July 16, 2026).
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is a Buy with a $471.71 price target, but technical indicators suggest near-term pressure. Risks include margin compression and high debt levels, while opportunities lie in automation demand and new contracts. The stock offers a dividend yield of approximately 0.6% with consistent payouts.
SYY trades at $81.22, down 0.58% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported mixed Q1 2026 earnings, missing EPS expectations of $0.945 with $0.94, but maintains strong revenue growth, reaching $81.37B in 2025. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $84.75 price target, and the upcoming Q4 2026 earnings report on August 4 is a key catalyst. Recent news highlights operational efficiency gains and AI integration, including a Newsweek AI Impact Award.
SYY presents a moderate buy opportunity with upside to the consensus target, supported by stable cash flow and dividend payments. Risks include thin net margins of 2.08% and elevated debt levels, with long-term debt at $11.51B. The stock's valuation is reasonable with a P/E of 22.44, but margin pressure and economic sensitivity in the food distribution sector warrant caution.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Rockwell Automation is a pure-play automation competitor that is the successor entity to Rockwell International, which spun off its former Rockwell Collins avionics segment in 2001. As of fiscal 2021, the firm operates through three segments--intelligent devices, software and control, and lifecycle services. Intelligent devices contains its drives, sensors, and industrial components, software and control contains its information and network and security software, while lifecycle services contains its consulting and maintenance services as well as its Sensia JV with Schlumberger.
Read more on ROK →Sysco is the largest U.S. food-service distributor, boasting 17% market share of the highly fragmented food-service distribution industry. Sysco distributes over 400,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (63% of revenue), healthcare facilities (8%), education and government buildings (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (14%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2022, 82% of the firm's revenue was U.S.-based, with 7% from Canada, 4% from the U.K., 2% from France, and 4% other.
Read more on SYY →