Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.
While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.
Below, we take a look at Rockwell Automation (ROK), which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.
It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Rockwell Automation currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.
You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>
Set to Beat the Market?
In order to see if ROK is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this industrial equipment and software maker holds up.
Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.
For ROK, shares are up 1.56% over the past week while the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry is flat over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 17.79% compares favorably with the industry's 4.55% performance as well.
Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of Rockwell Automation have increased 12.93% over the past quarter, and have gained 62.22% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.55% and 32.75%, respectively.
Investors should also take note of ROK's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now ROK is averaging 745,399 shares for the last 20 days..
Earnings Outlook
The Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with ROK.
Over the past two months, 5 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost ROK's consensus estimate, increasing from $12.12 to $12.21 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 6 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.
Bottom Line
Taking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that ROK is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Rockwell Automation on your short list.
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Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).