The Bot Brief

- Victor Hugo

 

 

Bots in the News:

 

Bot the S & P 500 and the Bot Index gained a mere few basis points in the past week. The bots were hit by a dramatic 16% decline in AeroVironment. The drone maker has been on a strong upward momentum over the past few months due to its success in Ukraine but a recently announced acquisition and a weaker than expected Oct quarter earnings announcement stalled the upward trajectory. While the company managed to boost its revenue by 4% to more than $188 million, its net income fell to under $7.5 million from the year-ago $17.8 million. On a non-GAAP (adjusted) per-share basis, the bottom-line number was $0.47, against second quarter 2024's $0.97.

 

Oceaneering International fell nearly 10% in part due to falling oil prices and some profit taking by investors who have noticed the stock’s upswing.

 

Cognex Corp. fell 5.53% as the company’s prospects don’t seem to justify its lofty 70+ multiple.

 

iRobot was the best performer in the Bot Index with a 17.48% gain. The turnaround prospects and a decent earnings report continue to uplift investors who have been ambivalent about the company’s chances since the collapse of the Amazon offer.

 

Tesla joined iRobot in the double-digit gainer column with its 12.76% rise. The company has been soaring since Elon Musk has taken a higher exposure within the upcoming political environment. His focus on eliminating the CFPB could assist in automobile financing and robo-taxis and an AI focus by the new administration are all positives for the company.

 

The aforementioned company – Amazon rose 9.20% as Christmas sales by the retailer look strong.

 

 

 

The two best gainers included Amazon who rose 5.5% due to excellent preliminary sales indications for Black Friday and iRobot’s jump of 7.61% with an unexpected earnings beat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member: American Economic Association, Society of Professional Journalists, United States Press Association. Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts, Robotic Industries Association (now A3 Automation), Member IEEE. 

 

 

The Bot Brief is a weekly newsletter designed for economists, investment specialists, journalists, and academicians. It receives no remuneration from any companies that may from time to time be featured in the brief and its commentaries, analysis, opinions, and research represent the subjective view of Balcones Investment Research, LLC. Due to the complex and rapidly changing nature of the subject matter, the company makes no assurances as to the absolute accuracy of the material presented.