I don't believe there's much debate anymore about whether weakness in short-cycle industries is spreading, though longer-cycle industries have continued to hold up better (even if they're wobbling a bit) and some investors are still pinning their hopes on a second-half rebound. That's all bad news for Rockwell Automation (ROK), as this leading pure-play in industrial automation continues to see slowing markets that are sapping its growth and momentum.
The short-cycle slowdown is manageable; Rockwell has always been a cyclical business, and that's just part of the landscape. Beyond that, though, there are