How to buy Eaton Corporation shares

Eaton Corporation plc (ETN) is a leading specialty industrial machinery business with stocks listed in the US. It opened the day at US$142.14 after a previous close of US$141.51. During the day the price has varied from a low of USD140.8967 to a high of USD142.57. The latest price was USD141.4 (25 minute delay). Eaton Corporation is listed on the NYSE. All prices are listed in US Dollars.

How to buy shares in Eaton Corporation

1. Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a US company from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. If you're just starting out, look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, like your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
3. Search for Eaton Corporation. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: ETN. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment against your financial goals.
4. Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Eaton Corporation reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals and amounts.
5. Decide on how many to buy. Weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Eaton Corporation, depending on your broker.
6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Eaton Corporation. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights on directors and management that can affect your stock.

Eaton Corporation share price

Use our graph to track the performance of ETN stocks over time.

Eaton Corporation shares at a glance

• Live prices
• Key figures

Information last updated 2021-04-22.

Open	US$142.14
High	US$142.57
Low	US$140.8967
Close	US$141.4
Previous close	US$141.51
Change	US$-0.11
Change %	-0.0777%
Volume	2,295,004

Information last updated 2021-04-20.

52-week range	US$69.1796 - US$143.29
50-day moving average	US$138.0976
200-day moving average	US$122.5372
Target price	US$146.39
PE ratio	40.3381
Dividend yield	US$2.92 (2.07%)
Earnings per share (TTM)	US$3.49

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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.

Is it a good time to buy Eaton Corporation stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

Technical Analysis of Eaton Corporation plc by TradingView

Eaton Corporation price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the last close of $141.4

1 week (2021-04-13)	1.14%
1 month (2021-03-19)	6.11%
3 months (2021-01-22)	13.64%
6 months (2020-10-23)	28.77%

1 year (2020-04-23)	80.93%
2 years (2019-04-23)	65.21%
3 years (2018-04-23)	80.06%
5 years (2016-04-22)	124.48%

Is Eaton Corporation under- or over-valued?

Valuing Eaton Corporation stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Eaton Corporation's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.

Eaton Corporation's P/E ratio

Eaton Corporation's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 40x. In other words, Eaton Corporation shares trade at around 40x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.

Eaton Corporation's PEG ratio

Eaton Corporation's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 2.0227. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Eaton Corporation's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

Eaton Corporation's EBITDA

Eaton Corporation's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is US$2.6 billion (£1.9 billion).

The EBITDA is a measure of a Eaton Corporation's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.

Eaton Corporation financials

Revenue TTM	US$17.9 billion
Operating margin TTM	10%
Gross profit TTM	US$5.5 billion
Return on assets TTM	3.45%
Return on equity TTM	9.1%
Profit margin	7.9%
Book value	37.503
Market capitalisation	US$56.1 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

Shorting Eaton Corporation shares

There are currently 4.3 million Eaton Corporation shares held short by investors – that's known as Eaton Corporation's "short interest". This figure is 24.6% up from 3.4 million last month.

There are a few different ways that this level of interest in shorting Eaton Corporation shares can be evaluated.

Eaton Corporation's "short interest ratio" (SIR)

Eaton Corporation's "short interest ratio" (SIR) is the quantity of Eaton Corporation shares currently shorted divided by the average quantity of Eaton Corporation shares traded daily (recently around 2.8 million). Eaton Corporation's SIR currently stands at 1.52. In other words for every 100,000 Eaton Corporation shares traded daily on the market, roughly 1520 shares are currently held short.

However Eaton Corporation's short interest can also be evaluated against the total number of Eaton Corporation shares, or, against the total number of tradable Eaton Corporation shares (the shares that aren't held by "insiders" or major long-term shareholders – also known as the "float"). In this case Eaton Corporation's short interest could be expressed as 0.01% of the outstanding shares (for every 100,000 Eaton Corporation shares in existence, roughly 10 shares are currently held short) or 0.0107% of the tradable shares (for every 100,000 tradable Eaton Corporation shares, roughly 11 shares are currently held short).

Such a low SIR usually points to an optimistic outlook for the share price, with fewer people currently willing to bet against Eaton Corporation.

Find out more about how you can short Eaton Corporation stock.

Eaton Corporation's environmental, social and governance track record

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Eaton Corporation.

When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.

Eaton Corporation's total ESG risk score

Total ESG risk: 23.6

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Eaton Corporation's overall score of 23.6 (as at 12/31/2018) is excellent – landing it in it in the 18th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Eaton Corporation is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

Eaton Corporation's environmental score

Environmental score: 9.75/100

Eaton Corporation's environmental score of 9.75 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Eaton Corporation is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Eaton Corporation's social score

Social score: 12.32/100

Eaton Corporation's social score of 12.32 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Eaton Corporation is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Eaton Corporation's governance score

Governance score: 11.03/100

Eaton Corporation's governance score puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Eaton Corporation is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Eaton Corporation's controversy score

Controversy score: 2/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Eaton Corporation scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that Eaton Corporation has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary

Eaton Corporation plc was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.

Total ESG score	23.6
Total ESG percentile	18.32
Environmental score	9.75
Environmental score percentile	7
Social score	12.32
Social score percentile	7
Governance score	11.03
Governance score percentile	7
Level of controversy	2

Eaton Corporation share dividends

Dividend payout ratio: 69.41% of net profits

Recently Eaton Corporation has paid out, on average, around 69.41% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.15% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Eaton Corporation shareholders could enjoy a 2.15% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Eaton Corporation's case, that would currently equate to about $2.92 per share.

Eaton Corporation's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

Eaton Corporation's most recent dividend payout was on 29 March 2021. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 14 March 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").

Have Eaton Corporation's shares ever split?

Eaton Corporation's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 28 February 2011. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Eaton Corporation shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Eaton Corporation shares which in turn could have impacted Eaton Corporation's share price.

Eaton Corporation share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, Eaton Corporation's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$69.1796 up to US$143.29. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NYSE average) beta is 1, while Eaton Corporation's is 1.1544. This would suggest that Eaton Corporation's shares are a little bit more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a slightly higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).

Eaton Corporation overview

Eaton Corporation plc operates as a power management company. Its Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segment provides electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality products, wiring devices, circuit protection products, utility power distribution products, power reliability equipment, and services in North and South America, as well as hazardous duty electrical, emergency lighting, fire detection, explosion-proof instrumentation, and structural support systems internationally. The company's Hydraulics segment provides pumps, motors, and hydraulic power units; valves, cylinders, and electronic controls; industrial and hydraulic hoses, fittings, assemblies, thermoplastic hose and tubing products, couplings, connectors, and assembly equipment; and industrial drums and disc brakes. Its Aerospace segment offers pumps, motors, hydraulic power units, hoses and fittings, and electro-hydraulic pumps; valves, cylinders, electronic controls, electromechanical actuators, sensors, aircraft flap and slat systems, and nose wheel steering systems; thermoplastic tubing products, fittings, adapters, couplings, and sealing and ducting products; fuel pumps, sensors, valves, and adapters and regulators; and wiring connectors and cables, as well as hydraulic and bag filters, strainers and cartridges, and golf grips. The company's Vehicle segment offers transmissions, clutches, hybrid power systems, superchargers, engine valves and valve actuation systems, cylinder heads, locking and limited slip differentials, transmission controls, and fuel vapor components for the vehicle industry. Its eMobility segment provides voltage inverters, converters, fuses, onboard chargers, circuit protection units, vehicle controls, power distribution systems, fuel tank isolation valves, and commercial vehicle hybrid systems. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

• What percentage of Eaton Corporation is owned by insiders or institutions?

  Currently 0.199% of Eaton Corporation shares are held by insiders and 82.706% by institutions.

• When does the fiscal year end for Eaton Corporation?

  Eaton Corporation's fiscal year ends in December.

• Where is Eaton Corporation based?

  Eaton Corporation's address is: Eaton House, Dublin, Ireland, 4

• What is Eaton Corporation's ISIN number?

  Eaton Corporation's international securities identification number is: IE00B8KQN827

• What is Eaton Corporation's CUSIP number?

  Eaton Corporation's Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number is: 278058102