With favorable domestic and international policies aligning, robot-related stocks are clearly on the rise.
According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) on Dec. 10, Doosan Robotics, a leading robot stock, rose 6.23% over the past month (Nov. 7–Dec. 9) from 77,100 won to 81,900 won.
Hyundai AutoEver surged 59.69% in the same period, jumping from 188,800 won to 301,500 won. On the 8th, it climbed intraday to 307,000 won, setting an all-time high. Hyundai AutoEver, a software-focused affiliate within Hyundai Motor Group, is responsible for developing robot-related systems.
Rainbow Robotics, the No. 5 by market cap on KOSDAQ, rose 13.47%, and ROBOTIS jumped 28.28%, reflecting expectations for dual-arm work-type robot technology. Compared with gains of 4.80% for the KOSPI and 6.22% for the KOSDAQ over the same period, the rally in robot stocks stands out.
Analysts say the rise is largely driven by robot industry promotion policies from the Korean and U.S. governments.
According to the U.S. political outlet Politico, U.S. Commerce Minister Howard Lutnick recently held back-to-back meetings with robot industry chief executive officers (CEOs), and the Trump administration is considering issuing an executive order on the robot industry next year.
The Korean government is also focusing on the robot industry. In September, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) released a plan to invest a 150 trillion won Public Growth Fund over five years in advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, robots and future cars.
At a linkage roundtable for the "M.AX (manufacturing AI transition) Alliance–Public Growth Fund" held on the 4th, multiple corporations including Hyundai Motor, Doosan Robotics and CJ Logistics presented investment plans in the robot sector. Buoyed by such expectations, Hyundai Motor shares also crossed 300,000 won intraday for the first time on the 5th.
Robot-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are also strong. In one month, "KODEX Robot Active" rose 12.78%, "RISE U.S. Humanoid Robot" gained 4.68%, and the "KODEX U.S. Humanoid Robot" ETF added 2.54%.
The securities industry expects the rally in robot-related stocks to continue for the time being.
Yang Seung-yoon, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities, said, "Robot stocks have seasonality that is particularly strong at year-end and the start of the year, and it is applying this year as well," and added, "There is robot momentum (upside potential) to look forward to through the first half of next year."