"There is no force on earth more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo
Bots in the News:
In the prior week, the Bot Brief noted that the best performer was the haptic company Immersion Corp., which gained nearly 19% despite a lack of news. The jump was accompanied by a near 2 million share volume on November 25. Well, now we know the reason for the significant jump. This weekend the company’s Board of Directors has approved an increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.045 per share to $0.075 per share and has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Scott A. Larson (the "Cooperation Agreement"). The quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per share will be paid, subject to any prior revocation, in cash on January 30, 2026, to shareholders of record as of January 19, 2026.
Eric Singer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"Since January 2023, we have distributed $0.78 per share in dividends to our shareholders. Our strong financial position has enabled the Board to authorize this substantial increase in our quarterly dividend. We also appreciate Scott A. Larson’s insights on capital allocation, which align with the Board’s commitment to leveraging our robust balance sheet to reward shareholders."
The Bot Index gained 2.56% during the week versus the S & P 500’s 31 basis point increase.
Much of the differential was attributed to the 20% increases by each of two Japanese holdings – Fanuc Corp. and Yaskara Electric.
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 company 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 materials presented.
