Rockwell Automation, Inc. vs THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC., two Scientific Instruments stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Neither business shows its growth here, but the market's pricing does: Rockwell at 49.5 times earnings is priced for an automation upcycle, Thermo Fisher at 28.2 for a life-science recovery it refuses to prepay. The operating economics favor Rockwell, a 23.7% margin against 16.9%, though Thermo converts more of its price to free cash, 3.5% against 2.5%. Rockwell's 30.4% return on equity leans on a full turn of leverage; Thermo's 13.2% leans on scale, $191B against $54B. Both pay modest dividends. Two industrial-technology franchises priced twenty turns apart, with the premium on the smaller cycle rather than the larger platform.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | ROK | TMO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $476.45 | $512.74 |
| Market cap | $53.6B | $191.3B |
| Sector | Scientific Instruments | Scientific Instruments |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +21.6% |
| P/E | 49.5 | 28.2 |
| P/B | 15.00 | 3.68 |
| P/S | 6.09 | 4.23 |
| EV/EBITDA | 50.7 | 26.1 |
| Revenue growth | +10.5% | +5.3% |
| Gross margin | 50.3% | — |
| Operating margin | 23.7% | 16.9% |
| Net margin | 12.4% | 15.2% |
| Return on equity | 30.4% | 13.2% |
| Return on assets | 9.7% | 6.0% |
| Return on invested capital | 10.6% | 6.4% |
| FCF yield | 2.5% | 3.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Debt / equity | 1.03 | 0.89 |
| Current ratio | 1.09 | 1.53 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.69 | 7.28 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.