Rockwell Automation (ROK) is jumping 11% after the firm reported higher-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings per share and suggested that its financial performance would improve throughout its current fiscal year.

ROK specializes in providing industrial products, software, and consulting services. The company's Q1 ended in December.

A bustling industrial facility with a series of chemical filtration systems on display.

A Look at ROK's Q1 Results

Rockwell generated Q1 EPS, excluding certain items, of $1.83, well above analysts' average estimate of $1.58. However, its sales tumbled 8.4% versus the same period a year earlier to $1.88 billion, in line with analysts' mean outlook. The revenue of the company's Lifecycle Services unit, which specializes in providing tech consulting services, climbed 5% year-over-year to $546 million.

ROK's Comments

Macroeconomic unknowns and the government's changes are weighing on companies' capital spending plans, ROK CEO Blake Moret reported. On the other hand, Moret said that the company is "encouraged by better-than-expected order performance in the quarter with sequential growth across all regions and business segments," while ROK anticipates "gradual sequential improvement in...sales and margins as we move through this fiscal year, including potential impacts from tariffs."

Moret added that the company's bottom line had been lifted by cost cutting, while it expects to lower its expenses further going forward.

The Recent Price Action of ROK Stock

In the last month, ROK has risen 8.2%, while it has gained 7.4% in the last three months.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.