Are we navigating by the stars underneath cloudy skies? This yr’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 may go mistaken, it has been exceptional to see how a lot has gone proper. Not solely has financial progress 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 could 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 comparable weak spot with the Robotics & Automation Index (ROBO) declining -7.6%, the Healthcare Expertise & Innovation Index (HTEC) contracting -7.2% and the Synthetic Intelligence Index (THNQ) falling -4.9%. Whereas AI remains to be a serious progress matter right here, the Nasdaq 100 (closely weighted within the tech area and thus the AI dialogue) declined 1.5% for the month but remains to be up over 42% YTD.
The upcoming lengthy weekend within the US actually affords 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 dwelling, it feels just like the refrain of “delicate touchdown” has been rising louder as we proceed to get Goldilocks knowledge prints. After all, the start of this week noticed some resurgence of the “dangerous information is sweet information” narrative amidst delicate 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 circumstances. Nonetheless, what’s most encouraging is that inflation has been moderating with out hampering world progress. The patron stays sturdy – notably within the US – and paradoxically it looks as if dangers to the upside have change into extra seemingly 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 yr ends subsequent January, Nvidia ought to have introduced in north of $50 billion in income, practically double that of final fiscal yr and practically 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 greater than 31% up to now 32 years.
Greatest-in-class robotics & automation firms world wide continued to ship superior income and earnings progress in 2Q23. Nonetheless, after 4 consecutive quarters of optimistic earnings surprises, sturdy demand and record-high backlogs, the tone has modified as a number of bellwether firms warned of slowing orders and lowered 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 sturdy 1Q23, trimmed its year-end backlog and lowered the excessive finish of natural progress steering. Whereas administration stays upbeat across the massive variety of new manufacturing amenities 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 shocking 35% decline in working revenue, and lowered full-year steering by greater than 30% beneath consensus. Orders fell 24% YoY as buyer inventories normalized. Fanuc stated that with provide chains stabilized, stock changes throughout the business will seemingly proceed via the rest of the yr.
- Siemens, the European industrial automation powerhouse, lowered its 2023 gross sales outlook for Digital Industries after a -35% YoY droop in 2Q orders, anticipating intensified destocking developments 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 seems to be set to sluggish additional within the subsequent couple of quarters, general fundamentals for the ROBO index stay sturdy.
87% of the 79 ROBO International Robotics & Automation Index members have now reported 2Q23 earnings, and the median income progress stands at 9.5%, considerably above the 0.6% charge for the S&P500 in line with Factset. In the meantime, median EPS progress 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 line 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. The truth is, 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 progress, 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% progress. 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 progress. 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 in the course of the practically 10 years since inception, and a excessive of 36x in February 2021.
