Are we navigating by the stars below cloudy skies? This 12 months’s fairness market buying and selling has actually been characterised by a lot trepidation because the market struggles to search out its true north. But, for all of the psychological scar tissue round what might go unsuitable, it has been outstanding to see how a lot has gone proper. Not solely has financial development remained comparatively sturdy amidst inflation abating, however shopper spending and company margins have additionally sustained at wholesome ranges. Sure, it looks as if the skies have at instances been cloudy, however when will this market let go of the priority that each cloud might deliver thunderous rain? 

For the month of August, U.S. equities completed decrease because the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 Indices posted their first month-to-month declines since February. The ROBO indices noticed related weak spot with the Robotics & Automation Index (ROBO) declining -7.6%, the Healthcare Know-how & Innovation Index (HTEC) contracting -7.2% and the Synthetic Intelligence Index (THNQ) falling -4.9%. Whereas AI continues to be a serious development subject right here, the Nasdaq 100 (closely weighted within the tech area and thus the AI dialogue) declined 1.5% for the month but continues to be up over 42% YTD.

The upcoming lengthy weekend within the US actually presents a pleasant alternative to take a step again from markets and put together for the dash into year-end. As all of us sharpen our pencils, the query stays what grade will this market get subsequent semester? At house, it feels just like the refrain of “tender touchdown” has been rising louder as we proceed to get Goldilocks knowledge prints. In fact, the start of this week noticed some resurgence of the “dangerous information is nice information” narrative amidst tender financial knowledge.

Buyers have actually had quite a bit to mull over these previous couple of months as all of us proceed to evaluate the trajectory of economic situations. Nonetheless, what’s most encouraging is that inflation has been moderating with out hampering world development. The buyer stays robust – notably within the US – and mockingly it looks as if dangers to the upside have turn out to be extra doubtless than a possible slowdown.

All eyes turned to Nvidia (NVDA) final week – the rising AI star that simply retains getting brighter. By the point the fiscal 12 months ends subsequent January, Nvidia ought to have introduced in north of $50 billion in income, almost double that of final fiscal 12 months and almost 5 instances its annual income in fiscal 2020. 

The surge is flowing via to Nvidia’s backside line. Its internet revenue margin hit 46% within the quarter, in contrast with 10% within the year-earlier quarter. Simply as a comparability, Intel hasn’t reported a internet margin increased than 31% previously 32 years.

Greatest-in-class robotics & automation corporations all over the world continued to ship superior income and earnings development in 2Q23. Nonetheless, after 4 consecutive quarters of optimistic earnings surprises, robust demand and record-high backlogs, the tone has modified as a number of bellwether corporations warned of slowing orders and diminished full-year outlooks.

Slowing orders in manufacturing facility automation had been most obvious at:

• Rockwell Automation, the US chief in manufacturing facility automation management programs, which had an exceptionally robust 1Q23, trimmed its year-end backlog and lowered the excessive finish of natural development steerage. Whereas administration stays upbeat across the massive variety of new manufacturing services launching within the US, Rockwell noticed elevated cancellations in China and with e-commerce prospects and warned of slowing orders from machine builders
• Fanuc, the world’s chief in industrial robotics, reported a stunning 35% decline in working revenue, and lowered full-year steerage by greater than 30% beneath consensus. Orders fell 24% YoY as buyer inventories normalized. Fanuc mentioned that with provide chains stabilized, stock changes throughout the trade will doubtless proceed via the rest of the 12 months.
• Siemens, the European industrial automation powerhouse, lowered its 2023 gross sales outlook for Digital Industries after a -35% YoY hunch in 2Q orders, anticipating intensified destocking tendencies to proceed for the following few quarters. 
• ABB, the European chief in manufacturing facility robotics, additionally reported worse-than-expected declines in orders Robotics and Discrete Automation (-23% YoY)

Whereas industrial automation appears to be like set to gradual additional within the subsequent couple of quarters, general fundamentals for the ROBO index stay robust. 

87% of the 79 ROBO International Robotics & Automation Index members have now reported 2Q23 earnings, and the median income development stands at 9.5%, considerably above the 0.6% charge for the S&P500 in accordance with Factset. In the meantime, median EPS development accelerated to 12.1% YoY, up from 5.3% YoY within the prior quarter. This compares to a -5.2% EPS decline for the S&P500, the biggest earnings decline since 3Q20 in accordance with Factset.

These outcomes had been considerably higher than anticipated with a median EPS shock of +3%, however not as optimistic as in prior quarters. Actually, solely 54% of index members reported EPS beats in 2Q, in contrast with 70% in 1Q23 and 61% in 4Q22. 

Greater than half of the ROBO index members reported double-digit income development, led by enterprise course of automation (ServiceNow, PTC) in addition to logistics and warehouse automation, with Symbotic, Kardex, Cargotec, Manhattan Associates and Toyota Industries all reporting greater than 23% development. Symbotic introduced a flurry of latest contracts and a brand new JV with Softbank to create an automatic warehouse companies firm, which it expects to generate over $500m in annual recurring software program, elements and companies income by 2030.

The Integration and Sensing subsectors additionally confirmed wholesome double-digit income development. In the meantime, income declines had been concentrated in 3D Printing and semiconductors, the place the downcycle began in 2022 continued to play out with Ambarella, Qualcomm, Teradyne and Fuji reporting declines of greater than 15%.

As of August 31, 2023, the ROBO index was up 18.3% YTD and is buying and selling on an combination ahead PE of 25x, in contrast with the 24x common throughout the almost 10 years since inception, and a excessive of 36x in February 2021.