The Robot Report

  • Research
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • Grippers / End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors / Sensing Systems
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • A.I. / Cognition
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Defense / Security
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
  • Investments
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness Direct
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
  • Podcast

2012 Robo-Stox Wrap-up

By Frank Tobe | January 3, 2013

If an enterprising firm set up a mutual fund reflecting the worldwide robotics industry, they might choose to separate their picks into three segments, which might look something like this:

  1. Industrial Robot Manufacturers
  2. Service Robot Makers of security, defense and space robots
  3. Service Robot Makers of robots for all other purposes

Although I am neither a broker nor an analyst, I do track the business of robotics and the performance of those companies within the industry publicly traded on various global stock exchanges. In fact, I started compiling and tracking the stocks at the end of 2007, and set up a comparative index, Robo-Stox™, because no brokerage or mutual fund firm had such a fund or funds or index. I began this just in time to watch the stocks tank in 2008 and 2009 and recover in 2010 through 2012. What follows is a wrap-up of what I found of particular interest in 2012.

As can be seen from this 5-year Robo-Stox™ chart, not all stocks have fully recovered their 2007 year-end highs; the average stock hasn’t… but many have succeeded in full recovery, particularly in the non-industrial sector. And, as can be seen from the Big-4 chart below, the biggest industrial robot manufacturers did quite well in 2012.

Industrial robot manufacturers
Japanese industrial robot manufacturers did well for the year: all but 2 were up Y-T-D and the group beat the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) 7.3% gain for the year. More than half of the stocks in the index have recovered from their 2008 lows.

The Big Four robot makers (ABB (NYSE:ABB), Yaskawa Motoman (TYO:6506), Fanuc (TYO:6954) and KUKA (ETR:KU2)) did particularly well and all had double-digit gains compared to the DJIA.

KUKA’s stock was up 22% for the year – the standout performer of the group. KUKA AG has invested heavily in facilities and marketing in China and their long-term prospects appear to be good.

Canadian, US and European industrial robot makers did similar to Japan  – slightly beating the DJIA’s 7.3% gain for the year with about half having returned to their 2007 highs. I don’t know what happened in Korea; almost all of their stocks had a wobbly year with end-of-year prices near the lows for the year.

Service Robot Manufacturers
Service robot companies, particularly high-tech medical/surgical stocks had a very mixed year.
  • MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ:MAKO) had two serious slides during the year taking the stock from a high of $44 to it’s present low of $12 – all because of missed analyst expectations.
  • Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) (of da Vinci Surgical Robot fame) also had a roller coaster year with a high of $588, a low of $440, and ended literally where it began the year.
Few companies beat the NASDAQ, which was up 15.9% for the year; but here are a few standouts:
  • Accuray (NASDAQ:ARAY), whose robotic radiation therapy Cyberknife did quite well during the year, was up 42% from $4.43 to $6.31 at year-end.
  • Swisslog Holdings’s stock, traded on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SLOG:SW), was up more than 45% for the year. Their pill-making and dispensing systems and hospital tugs are doing well and their warehousing robots are also benefiting from the trend to automate distribution centers.
  • Israel’s Mazor Robotics (MZOR:IT) and their spine implant system did well too – up from $110 at the beginning of the year to $229 at year’s end!

Military, defense and security:

The cutback in US military spending has had a mixed effect on service robot makers and appears to depend on how broadly they have been able to adapt their products to global security and defense needs:

  • iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT), similar to MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ:MAKO), also had two serious stock drops during the year – both caused by the company having to restate expectations because of government cutbacks even though revenues from the military represent only 1/3 of gross revenues.
  • QinetiQ Group PLC (QQ/:LN), on the other hand, a British company, gets 100% of it’s revenue from governmental sources. It’s stock was up more than 35% for the year as were it’s profits.
  • Many conglomerates have subsidiaries that produce unmanned air, sea and land robots (and their support systems) for defense and security governmental agencies. This is a global market with global players. Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT), an Israeli company, is a case in point. They have a big UAV operation but that unit’s revenues are just a small portion of those from the overal company, thus their stock is certainly not a robotics pure play. Elbit’s stock, which had a long slide and a short recovery during 2012, broke even for the year.
Bottom line
  • Industrial robotic providers had a good year
  • Military robot makers saw governmental cutbacks reflected in their stock prices and are widening their sales and transforming their products to sell to municipal governments
  • Surgical and hospital service robot suppliers had a mixed year, the former held up by patents and FDA approvals, the latter (eg, Swisslog (SLOG:SW) did quite well.
  • Most other new-tech robotic companies are privately or equity-fund held, hence, no idea as to their results other than news about contracts received. For example, venture funded Liquid Robotics, during 2012, established a new joint venture with oil conglomerate Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) and a new naval division for governmental and Navy contracts. Wouldn’t you like to own a few shares of that company?

2012 was a good year for many robotics companies and 2013 seems like it will continue the momentum of equal parts finding robotic solutions to workplace needs but also crowd-funded wild ideas and other digressions.

Also see Filling a need… or feeding a diversion for more stock info.

About The Author

Frank Tobe

Frank Tobe is the founder of The Robot Report and co-founder of ROBO Global which has developed a tracking index for the robotics industry, the ROBO Global™ Robotics & Automation Index. The index of ~90 companies in 13 sub-sectors tracks and captures the entire economic value of this global opportunity in robotics, automation and enabling technologies.

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

Laser-steering microrobot aims to refine minimally invasive surgery
ABB China hospital
How a hospital in China automates drug dispensing
maxon Fourier Intelligence
maxon building custom drives for rehab robots
DreamVu
RoboBusiness Direct: make UV disinfection safe using omnidirectional 3D vision

Robotics Year in Review

The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Robotics News

Robot Report Podcast

Teradyne’s acquisition strategy & the future of cobot

The Robot Report Podcast · Teradyne's acquisition strategy & the future of cobots

Sponsored Content

  • Doosan Robotics: Driving Innovation and Growth in Cobots
  • FORT Robotics Podcast: FORT Robotics on how to keep humans safe and in control of robots
  • Pallet Detection Systems Help Automated Forklifts Modernize Warehouse Operations
  • IES Servo Control Gripper
  • How to cut the cost of manufacturing

Tweets by RoboticTips

The Robot Report
  • Collaborative Robotics Trends
  • Field Robotics Forum
  • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Business Review
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search The Robot Report

  • Research
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • Grippers / End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors / Sensing Systems
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • A.I. / Cognition
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Defense / Security
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
  • Investments
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness Direct
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
  • Podcast