On 16 July 2026, ABB agreed to acquire Bath, England-based Rotork in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$5.5 billion. This is ABB’s largest acquisition to date. Rotork shareholders will receive a 60% premium over the company’s three-month average share price, implying an enterprise value of 5.3x. ABB is a Swiss automation and energy group, while Rotork manufactures electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic valve actuators.
In 2025, Rotork’s Water and Power division generated US$270.1 million in revenue, approximately 26% of total sales. This division supplies actuators and instrumentation for water treatment, distribution, wastewater, and desalination. Water-related end markets account for roughly 70% of the division’s sales, or about US$189.1 million. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027, after which Rotork will operate as a standalone division within ABB’s Automation business unit.
As utilities move toward digital operational frameworks and industrial customers increasingly automate complex assets, competitive advantages are shifting toward companies that oversee the operational layer, where sensing, actuation, and automation converge.
