This Annual Report contains statements (including certain projections and business trends) that are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “believe”, “estimate”, “project”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “will”, “intend” and other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to:

Rockwell Automation, Inc. ("(“Rockwell Automation"Automation” or "the Company"the “Company”), a leader in industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Our hardware and software products, solutions and services are designed to meet our customers’ needs to reduce total cost of ownership, maximize asset utilization, improve time to market and reduce enterprise business risk.

The Company continues the business founded as the Allen-Bradley Company in 1903. The privately-owned Allen-Bradley Company was a leading North American manufacturer of industrial automation equipment when the former Rockwell International Corporation (RIC) purchased it in 1985.

The Company was incorporated in Delaware in connection with a tax-free reorganization completed on December 6, 1996, pursuant to which we divested our former aerospace and defense businesses (the A&D Business) to The Boeing Company (Boeing). In the

reorganization, RIC contributed all of its businesses, other than the A&D Business, to the Company and distributed all capital stock of the Company to RIC’s shareowners. Boeing then acquired RIC. RIC was incorporated in 1928.

As used herein, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Rockwell Automation” or the “Company” include subsidiaries and predecessors unless the context indicates otherwise. Information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refers to our continuing businesses unless otherwise indicated.

We have two operating segments: Architecture & Software and Control Products & Solutions. In 2016, our total sales were $5.88 billion. Our Architecture & Software operating segment recorded sales of $2.64 billion (45 percent of our total sales) in 2016. Our Control Products & Solutions operating segment recorded sales of $3.24 billion (55 percent of our total sales) in 2016.

Our competitors range from large diversified corporations that may also have business interests outside of industrial automation to smaller companies that specialize in nicheoffer a limited portfolio of industrial automation products, solutions and services. Factors that influence our competitive position include the breadth of our product portfolio and scope of solutions, technology differentiation, domain expertise, installed base, distribution network, quality of hardware and software products, solutions and services, global presence and price. Major competitors of both segments include Siemens AG, ABB Ltd, Schneider Electric SA, Emerson Electric Co., Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Honeywell International Inc.

Our total order backlog consists of (in millions):

Backlog is not necessarily indicative of results of operations for future periods due to the short-cycle nature of most of our sales activities. Backlog orders scheduled for shipment beyond 20172019 were approximately $199$232 million as of September 30, 2016.2018.

Our business segments are not subject to significant seasonality. However, the calendarization of our results can vary and may be affected by the seasonal spending patterns of our customers due to their annual budgeting processes and their working schedules.

In the ordinary course of our business, we face various strategic, operating, compliance and financial risks. These risks could have an impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Our most significant risks are set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

A team of senior executives prioritizes identified risks and assigns an executive to address each major identified risk area and lead action plans to manage risks. Our Board of Directors provides oversight of the ERM process and reviews significant identified risks. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors also reviews significant financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and manage them. Our other Board committees also play a role in risk management, as set forth in their respective charters.

Our goal is to proactively manage risks in a structured approach in conjunction with strategic planning, with the intent to preserve and enhance shareowner value. However, the risks set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other risks and uncertainties could adversely affect us and cause our results to vary materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results and could adversely affect us.results.

We are subject to macroeconomic cycles and when recessions occur, we may experience reduced, canceled or delayed orders, payment delays or defaults, supply chain disruptions or other factors as a result of the economic challenges faced by our customers, prospective customers and suppliers.

Demand for our hardware and software products is sensitive to changes in levels of industrial production and the financial performance of major industries that we serve. As economic activity slows, credit markets tighten, or sovereign debt concerns linger,arise, companies tend to reduce their levels of capital spending, which could result in decreased demand for our products.

Our ability to access the credit markets and the costs of borrowing are affected by the strength of our credit rating and current market conditions. If our access to credit, including the commercial paper market, is adversely affected by a change in market conditions or otherwise, our cost of borrowings may increase or our ability to fund operations may be reduced.

Our success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and offer hardware and software products that appeal to the changing needs and preferences of our customers in the various markets we serve. Developing new hardware and software products requires high levels of innovation, and the development process is often lengthy and costly. If we are not able to anticipate, identify, develop and market products that respond to changes in customer preferences and emerging technological and broader industry trends, demand for our products could decline.

We rely heavily on information technology (IT) both in our hardware and software products, solutions and services for customers, manufacturing environment, and in our enterprise IT infrastructure in orderinfrastructure. Despite the implementation of security measures, our IT systems are vulnerable to achieve our business objectives. Government agencies and security experts have warned about growing risks ofunauthorized access by nation states, hackers, cyber-criminals, malicious insiders, and other actors targeting every type of IT system including industrial control systems such as those we sell and service and corporate enterprise IT systems. These actorswho may engage in fraud, theft of confidential or proprietary information, or sabotage. These systems could be compromised by malware (including ransomware), cyber attacks, and sabotage.other events, ranging from widespread, non-targeted, global cyber threats to targeted advanced persistent threats. Given that our hardware and software products and services are used in critical infrastructure, these threats could indicate increased risk for our products, services, manufacturing, and IT infrastructure. Recent global cyber attacks have been perpetuated by compromising software updates in widely-used software products, increasing the risk that vulnerabilities or malicious content could be inserted into our products. In some cases, malware attacks were spread throughout the supply chain, moving from one company to the next via authorized network connections.

Our hardware and software products, solutions, and services are used by our direct and indirect customers in applications that may be subject to information theft, tampering, or sabotage.  Among other industries, our products, solutions and services are often employed in the control of critical infrastructure. Careless or malicious actors could cause a customer’s process to be disrupted or could cause equipment to operate in an improper manner that could result in harm to people or property. While we continue to improve the security attributes of our hardware and software products, solutions and services, we can reduce risk, not eliminate it. To a significant extent, the security of our customers’ systems depends on how those systems are designed, installed, protected, configured, updated and monitored, allmuch of which are typically outside our control.

Our business uses development, engineering, manufacturing, sales, accounting, support and IT resources on a dispersed, global basis.basis for a wide variety of functions including development, engineering, manufacturing, sales, accounting, and human resources. Our vendors, partners, employees and customers have access to, and share, information across multiple locations via various digital technologies.  In addition, we rely on partners and vendors for a wide range of outsourced activities.activities, including cloud providers, are part of our internal IT infrastructure and our commercial offerings. Secure connectivity is important to these ongoing operations. Also, our partners and vendors frequently have access to our confidential information as well as confidential information about our customers, employees, and others. We design our security architecture to reduce the risk that a compromise of our partners’ infrastructure, for example a cloud platform, could lead to a compromise of our internal systems or customer networks, but this risk cannot be eliminated and vulnerabilities at third parties could result in unknown risk exposure to our business.

The current cyber threat environment indicates increased risk for all companies, including those in industrial automation and information. Like other global companies, we have experienced cyber threats and incidents, although none have been material or had a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. Our information security efforts, under the leadership of our Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Product Security Officer, with the support of the entire management team, include major programs designed to address security governance, product security, identification of critical assets,and protection of critical assets, the human element/insider risk, third-party relationshipsrisk, and cyber defense operations. We believe these measures reduce, but cannot eliminate, the risk of an information

security incident.

Risks inherent in the sale of solutions and services include assuming greater responsibility for successfully delivering projects that meet a particular customer specification, including defining and controlling contract scope, efficiently executing projects, and managing the performance and quality of our subcontractors and suppliers. If we are unable to manage and mitigate these risks, we could incur cost overruns, liabilities and other losses that would adversely affect our results of operations.

We face strong competition in all of our market segments in several significant respects. We compete based on breadth and scope of our hardware and software product portfolio and solution and service offerings, technology differentiation, the domain expertise of our employees and partners, product performance, quality of our hardware and software products, solutions and services, knowledge of integrated systems and applications that address our customers’ business challenges, pricing, delivery and customer service. The relative importance of these factors differs across the geographic markets and product areas that we serve.serve and across our market segments. We seek to maintain acceptable pricing levels across and within geographic markets by continually developing advanced technologies for new hardware and software products and product enhancements and offering complete solutions for our customers’ business problems. In addition, we continue to drive productivity to reduce our cost structure. If we fail to achieve our objectives, to keep pace with technological changes, or to provide high quality hardware and software products, solutions and services, we may lose business or experience price erosion and correspondingly lower sales and margins. We expect the level of competition to remain high in the future, which could limit our ability to maintain or increase our market share or profitability.

Our business depends on the movement of people and goods around the world. Natural disasters, pandemics, acts or threats of war or terrorism, international conflicts, power outages, fires, explosions, equipment failures, sabotage, political instability and the actions taken by governments could cause damage to or disrupt our business operations, our suppliers or our customers, and could create economic instability. Disruptions to our IT infrastructure from system failures, shutdowns, power outages, telecommunication or utility failures, and other events, including disruptions at third party IT and other service providers, could also interfere with or disrupt our operations. Although it is not possible to predict such events or their consequences, these events could decrease demand for our hardware and software products, solutions or services, increase our costs, or make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver products.products, solutions or services.

Others may assert intellectual property infringement claims against us or our customers. We frequently provide a limited intellectual property indemnity in connection with our terms and conditions of sale to our customers and in other types of contracts with third parties. Indemnification payments and legal expenses to defend claims could be costly.

In addition, we own the rights to many patents, trademarks, brand names and trade names that are important to our business. The inability to enforce our intellectual property rights may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Expenses related to enforcing our intellectual property rights could be significant.

We conduct business in many countries, which requires us to interpret and comply with the income tax laws and rulings in each of those taxing jurisdictions. Due to the ambiguity of tax laws among those jurisdictions as well as the uncertainty of how underlying facts may be construed, our estimates of income tax liabilities may differ from actual payments or assessments. We must successfully defend any claims from taxing authorities to avoid an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.condition.

Our success depends in part on the efforts and abilities of our management team and key employees. Their skills, experience and industry knowledge significantly benefit our operations and performance. Difficulty attracting, developing, and retaining members of our management team and key employees, including employees with the necessary technological expertise, could have a negative effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Various lawsuits, claims and proceedings have been or may be asserted against us relating to the conduct of our business, including those pertaining to the safety and security of the hardware and software products, solutions and services we sell, employment, contract matters, and environmental remediation.

We have been named as a defendant in lawsuits alleging personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos that was used in certain of our products many years ago. Our products may also be used in hazardous industrial activities, which could result in product liability claims. The uncertainties of litigation (including asbestos claims) and the uncertainties related to the collection of insurance coverageproceeds make it difficult to predict the ultimate resolution.

Our operations are subject to various environmental regulations that are concerned with human health, the limitation and control of emissions and discharges into the air, ground, and waters,water, the quality of air and bodies of water, and the handling, use and disposal of specified substances. Our financial responsibility to clean up contaminated property or for natural resource damages may extend to previously owned or used properties, waterways and properties owned by unrelated companies or individuals, as well as properties that we currently own and use, regardless of whether the contamination is attributable to prior owners. We have been named as a potentially responsible party at cleanup sites and may be so named in the future, and the costs associated with these current and future sites may be significant.

We have, from time to time, divested certain of our businesses. In connection with these divestitures, certain lawsuits, claims and proceedings may be instituted or asserted against us related to the period that we owned the businesses, either because we agreed to retain certain liabilities related to these periods or because such liabilities fall upon us by operation of law. In some instances, the divested business has assumed the liabilities; however, it is possible that we might be responsible for satisfying those liabilities if the divested business is unable to do so.

Future acquisitions and technology investments could result in debt, dilution, liabilities, increased interest expense, restructuring charges, and impairment and amortization expenses related to intangible assets.

None.

We operate manufacturing facilities in the United States and multiple other countries. Manufacturing space occupied approximately 3.43.3 million square feet, of which 3836 percent was in the United States and Canada. Our global headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a facility that we own. We lease the remaining facilities noted below. Most of our facilities are shared by operations in both segments and may be used for multiple purposes such as administrative, manufacturing, warehousing and / or distribution.

There are no major encumbrances (other than financing arrangements, which in the aggregate are not significant) on any of our plants or equipment. In our opinion, our properties have been well maintained, are in sound operating condition and contain all equipment and facilities necessary to operate at present levels.

The name, age, office and position held with the Company and principal occupations and employment during the past five years of each of the executive officers of the Company as of October 31, 2016November 1, 2018 are:

There are no family relationships, as defined by applicable SEC rules, between any of the above executive officers and any other executive officer or director of the Company. No officer of the Company was selected pursuant to any arrangement or understanding between the officer and any person other than the Company. All executive officers are elected annually.

Our common stock, $1 par value, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol “ROK.” On October 31, 2016,2018, there were 18,20516,162 shareowners of record of our common stock.

The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial data of our continuing operations. The data should be read in conjunction with MD&A and the Financial Statements. The selected financial data below has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements.

Income before income taxes decreasedincreased 1628 percent from $1,127.51,037.4 million in 20152017 to $943.11,330.8 million in 20162018, primarily due to a decrease in segment operating earnings.PTC adjustments, higher sales, and lower restructuring charges, partially offset by the absence of the gain on the 2017 divestiture. Total segment operating earnings decreasedincreased 1317 percent year over year from $1,360.5$1,233.1 million in 20152017 to $1,188.7$1,442.6 million in 2016,2018, primarily due to lower organic sales and unfavorable currency effects.higher sales.

Architecture & Software sales decreasedincreased 4.26.9 percent in 20162018 compared to 20152017. Organic sales decreasedincreased 1.55.2 percent, and the effects of currency translation reducedincreased sales by 3.01.7 percentage points, and acquisitions contributed 0.3 percentage points to sales growth. Pricing contributed approximately one percentage point to growth during the year.. All regions experienced a declinereported and organic sales growth. The United States was the strongest performing region organically. Logix reported sales increased 8 percent in 2018 compared to 2017. Logix organic sales duringincreased 7 percent, and the year except EMEA. Excluding the impacteffects of currency translation growth in Latin America and EMEA was more than offset by decreases in the remaining regions. Logix sales decreased 7 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. Logix organic sales decreased 4 percent year over year, and currency translation reducedincreased sales by 31 percentage points.point.

Architecture & Software segment operating earnings decreasedincreased 1415 percent. Operating margin was 26.429.1 percent in 20162018 compared to 29.427.0 percent in 20152017, primarily due to unfavorable mix and currency effects as well as lower organichigher sales.

Control Products & Solutions sales decreasedincreased 8.84.6 percent in 20162018 compared to 20152017. Organic sales decreasedincreased 5.85.7 percent, andthe effects of currency translation increased sales by 1.3 percentage points, and the prior year divestiture reduced sales by 3.02.4 percentage points. Pricing contributed less than one percentage point to growth during the year. All regions experienced a year-over-year decrease in sales. Excludingreported and organic sales growth, except for EMEA. The United States was the impact ofstrongest performing region.

Product sales decreased 2 percent year over year. Product organic sales increased 2 percent, currency translation growth in Latin America was more than offsetincreased sales by declines inapproximately 1 percentage point, and the remaining regions.prior year divestitures reduced sales by approximately 5 percentage points.

Sales in our solutions and services businesses decreased 11increased approximately 10 percent year over year. Organic sales in our solutions and services businesses decreased 8increased 9 percent during 2016,2018, and currency translation reducedcontributed 1 percentage point to sales by 3 percentage points.

General corporate - net expenses were $85.6$76.3 million in fiscal 20152017 compared to $81.0$79.7 million in fiscal 2014.2016.

Income before income taxes decreased 1increased 10 percent from $1,134.2$943.1 million in 20142016 to $1,127.5$1,037.4 million in 2015,2017, primarily due to increasesthe gain on sale of a business in non-operating pension costs, general corporate - net expensesthe fourth quarter and interest expense, partially offset by an increase in segment operating earnings. Total segment operating earnings increased 14 percent year over year from $1,188.7 million in 2016 to $1,233.1 million in 2017, primarily due to strong productivity and higher organic sales, partially offset by unfavorable currency effectshigher incentive compensation and higher spending.restructuring charges. In fiscal 2016, we did not incur expenses related to our primary annual incentive compensation plans, which are based on our company's performance. In fiscal 2017, we recorded approximately $115 million related to these plans.