News
The Bot Brief
POSTED 07/23/2023
"There is no force on earth more powerful than an idea whose time has come."
- Victor Hugo
Bots in The News:
Neither the Bot Index nor the S & P 500 gained any headway during the week. The bots were off some 81 basis points and the broader index gained 68 basis points. While there was only one stock falling by double digits, seventeen of the thirty stocks that comprise the Bot Index fell during the midweek of July. The low-priced 3D Systems declined 10.73% to lead the losers on no real apparent news on the company.
Tesla fell 7.59% despite beating on both earnings and revenues. On the surface, the stock should have benefited from a 47% year-over-year revenue improvement which begat a 20% earning increase. What drove the stock lower, however, was the impact on price cuts that drove margins down to 9.6% from 14.6%. Some investors pointed to the company’s rather weak commentary on the production of the long-awaited cyber-truck offering.
Google was off 4.29% as some of the glow of AI-based enthusiasm diminished during the week.
Oceaneering International was the best performer for the week following favorable earnings and revenue reports by both Baker Hughes and Schlumberger. In an article, ‘Is Oceaneering Poised for a Robust Q2 Earnings Show’, the author pointed out that the company’s Subsea Robotic section would be the growth engine for the quarter.
Lincoln Electric (LECO) rose 4.02% as a variety of favorable Wall Street sources praised the momentum of the company’s earnings and stock price.
Mooing for Automation:
The agriculture industry has been a major contributor to the development and expansion of automation. With razor thin margins, farmers have found that solvency in the food business is dependent upon utilizing the most efficient methods of plowing, planting, fertilizing, weeding, pest control and harvesting. Many innovations from automation have contributed to this need for efficiency.
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In a recent article from an Undeniably Dairy publication, robots were noted in a section entitled ‘Robots in the Barn’. The feature centered on one dairy rancher’s development of a stand-alone barn that allows cattle to be milked when needed, cleaned prior to milking and following the procedure, all at the cow’s discretion by a series of robotic procedures. Following the milking process, the robots automatically dispense feed or custom supplements to each singular cow. Vitals such as the weight, temperature, steps taken, milk production, and how long the cow laid down in her stall are all communicated via cell phone to the farmer. From this data, the farmer can be informed of any deviations which could signal an illness or infection. Not only are the robots extending the farmer’s capabilities to manage and maintain a healthy herd, but their efficiencies also help the farmer’s bottom line while keeping prices low for the consumer.
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.