Rising consumer prices amid rampant global inflation apparently didn’t stop spending on robotics in North America. Sales were up 28% compared to the same quarter a year ago.
Additionally, revenue rose 43% to reach a value of $664 million across U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Robots played an integral role during the pandemic amid social distancing measures, and that growth doesn’t appear to be subsiding despite inflation fears.
The push of inflation is also being met by the pull of lower costs for robot parts. Per RobotWorx, “the cost of robot workcells has decreased by 5-10% per year.”
“A strong recovery of the international robotics markets is currently in progress: Worldwide installations of industrial robots in 2021 even exceed the record year 2018,” said Milton Guerry, president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). “In North America, first quarter order volumes for both units and revenue were at all-time highs. Across industries, the post-COVID crisis boom creates double-digit growth over the same quarter of last year.”
Getting Robotics Exposure in 1 ETF
The growth potential of robotics opens up opportunities for exchange traded funds (ETFs) that provide exposure to these automated technologies. One such ETF is the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic ETF (BOTZ).
BOTZ seeks to invest in companies that stand to benefit from increased adoption and utilization of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), including those involved with industrial robotics and automation, non-industrial robots, and autonomous vehicles.
Additionally, BOTZ seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index. The index itself captures large- and mid-cap representation across 23 developed markets (DM) and 24 emerging markets (EM) countries.
Fund benefits include:
- High growth potential: BOTZ enables investors to access high growth potential through companies involved in the ideation, design, creation, and application of programmable automated devices.
- An unconstrained approach: BOTZ’s composition transcends classic sector, industry, and geographic classifications by tracking an emerging theme.
- ETF efficiency: In a single trade, BOTZ delivers access to dozens of companies with high exposure to the robotics and AI theme.
For more news, information, and strategy, visit the Thematic Investing Channel.