What is the best robotics stock to buy?

There are several good robotics stocks to buy, including Nvidia, Intuitive Surgical, and Tesla.

Which company is leading in robotics?

Leading robotics companies include Nvidia, Intuitive Surgical, and Tesla.

What are the Big Four of robotics?

The "Big Four" of robotics are ABB, FANUC, Kuka, and Yaskawa. While they're leaders in robotics, they're not the best way to invest in robotics. ABB is selling its robotics unit to Softbank, FANUC and Yaskawa don't trade on major U.S. stock exchanges, and China's Midea owns Kuka.

Are there traditional non-tech companies that count as robotics stocks?

Yes, several non-tech companies focus on robotics, including industrial giants such as Rockwell Automation and healthcare companies like Intuitive Surgical.

Can robotics stocks provide dividend income?

Yes, many companies in the robotics sector pay dividends, including Rockwell Automation, Nvidia, and Teradyne. However, robotics stocks typically have very low yields, as most of these companies reinvest the bulk of their earnings in R&D and business expansion.

Are robotic stocks a good investment?

Robotics stocks can be a good investment. For example, leading robotics surgery device maker Intuitive Surgical has delivered an annualized return of 18% over the last 10 years as of October 2026, significantly outpacing the S&P 500's return (over 13.7% annualized). The stocks of many other companies in the robotics sector have also delivered market-beating returns. Given the growth many expect for robotics, the sector could continue to richly reward investors. However, not all robotics companies will deliver strong returns. Investors need to carefully evaluate potential robotics investments before adding them to their portfolio.

8 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy in 2026 and How to Invest

An in-depth look at the top robotics stocks in the U.S. stock market this year.

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Oct 7, 2026 at 3:09 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

GlobalData forecasts the robotics sector will grow at a 14% compound annual rate through 2030, but few U.S.-listed companies are pure robotics plays.
Intuitive Surgical and Symbotic are the most direct robotics businesses on this list, while Nvidia, Teradyne, and Rockwell Automation benefit as suppliers of chips, test equipment, or automation hardware.
Nvidia says its physical AI platform generates about $10 billion in annual revenue, and CEO Jensen Huang expects it to grow 10-fold over the next decade.

Robotics stocks are publicly traded companies that build robots or supply the chips, sensors, and software that enable them to operate. Robotics automates repetitive tasks across manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and agriculture, freeing people to focus on higher-value work. Meanwhile, breakthroughs in physical artificial intelligence (AI) have made the mainstreaming of humanoid robots a rapidly approaching reality.

The numbers reflect it. GlobalData forecasts the robotics sector will grow at a 14% compound annual growth rate through 2030. For investors, that trajectory is hard to ignore. Here's a look at some of the top robotics stocks in 2026.

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Artificial Intelligence AI Robot Big Data Bull Market Stock Chart Getty — Image source: Getty Images.

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8 top robotics stocks for 2026

The robotics industry is a broad sector that includes several different types of robotics companies:

Industrial and warehouse automation: Companies that produce robotic arms, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and software for manufacturing and logistics robots.
Medical robotics: Companies that make surgical robots for healthcare.
AI semiconductors and other components: Companies that make the chips, software, and sensors for robots.
Consumer and defense: Companies that make robots for the consumer and defense markets.

Here is a look at eight top robotics stocks from across the sector to consider buying this year:

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market capMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.	Dividend yield	Industry
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)	$5.2 trillion	0.24%	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG)	$150.7 billion	0.00%	Healthcare Equipment and Supplies
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)	$1.4 trillion	0.00%	Automobiles
Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK)	$47.3 billion	1.30%	Electrical Equipment
Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX)	$9.1 billion	0.63%	Electronic Equipment, Instruments and Components
Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER)	$50.8 billion	0.16%	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Ouster (NASDAQ:OUST)	$2.1 billion	0.00%	Electronic Equipment, Instruments and Components
Symbotic (NASDAQ:SYM)	$23.4 billion	0.00%	Machinery

Data as of Oct 19, 2026. Showing 8 of 8 total entries.

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1. Nvidia

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NVDA Nvidia

$215.28+$1.15 (+0.54%)

NASDAQ · As of 9:59 AM ET 10/19/26

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Robotics is an emerging supply opportunity for Nvidia (NVDA +0.56%), as its chips and software serve as the "brains" of robots. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes robotics represents the company's second-biggest growth opportunity after AI. He thinks that "every industrial company will become a robotics company." The semiconductor giant is working with several humanoid robot makers across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with its Blackwell chips serving as the computing brains of these devices.

Nvidia's physical artificial intelligence platform already generates about $10 billion in annual revenue. Huang believes that the number will grow 10-fold over the next decade.

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Semiconductor

A semiconductor is a basic element or compound substance that conducts electricity in certain situations.

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2. Intuitive Surgical

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ISRG Intuitive Surgical

$428.86+$2.16 (+0.51%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:00 AM ET 10/19/26

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Robotics is core to Intuitive Surgical's (ISRG +0.54%) business, as it's a pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery. The company's da Vinci system made its commercial debut in 2000 and has since expanded worldwide. Intuitive Surgical's robots help surgeons and their teams execute more precise procedures, greatly improving patient outcomes and recovery times.

More than two decades later, Intuitive Surgical is still in growth mode. The vast majority of surgeries performed every day don't use robotic assistance, so there's ample opportunity to develop new da Vinci capabilities (as well as new robotic surgery devices, like the AI-powered Ion) to expand the range of procedures. Once Intuitive installs one of its systems, the business model generates ongoing revenue from disposable instrument sales, services, and support.

The applied use of robotics technology and an ongoing revenue stream once it installs a da Vinci robot make Intuitive Surgical one of the best long-term bets in healthcare technology.

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3. Tesla

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TSLA Tesla

$361.77+$7.05 (+1.99%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:00 AM ET 10/19/26

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Tesla expects robotics to become a big part of its future. Robotic technology already plays a key role in manufacturing its electric vehicles. The company's vehicles themselves are becoming more autonomous through its self-driving technology. It also launched a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, and has been slowly rolling it out to additional cities in Texas and Florida.

The company is on track to invest $25 billion in robotics, chips, and AI in 2026, triple its 2025 spending and $5 billion more than its initial projection. This investment is part of Tesla's pivot toward becoming a leading AI and robotics company. Tesla developed a humanoid robot (Optimus) that it aims to mass-produce. In 2026, Tesla stopped producing its Model S sedan and Model X crossover to free up factory space and turn its Fremont factory into an Optimus robot plant. It plans to start selling its Optimus robots to the public by the end of 2027. CEO Elon Musk thinks that Optimus will soon become the company's most important product. He believes robots could eventually make Tesla a $25 trillion company, with 80% of its value coming from robots. He predicted that there would be over 1 billion humanoid robots within a decade, each five times as productive as the average human.

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4. Rockwell Automation

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ROK Rockwell Automation

$424.51-$1.72 (-0.40%)

NYSE · As of 10:02 AM ET 10/19/26

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Rockwell Automation (ROK -0.61%) is primarily an industrial automation company. However, it has some exposure to robotics through autonomous mobile robots. It serves mature industries that are benefiting from increased automation across manufacturers.

Rockwell is seeing strong demand for its intelligent devices, which include drives, motors, sensors, and safety equipment. Sales in that segment, which includes autonomous mobile robots, totaled $1.1 billion in the fiscal third quarter of 2026, up 12% year over year. The company is capitalizing on the growing adoption of its autonomous mobile robots across several industries.

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5. Cognex

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CGNX Cognex

$54.36+$0.37 (+0.69%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:02 AM ET 10/19/26

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Cognex (CGNX +0.83%) is a leader in advanced machine vision. Its innovative technology enables manufacturing and distribution companies to become faster, smarter, and more efficient through automation.

In September 2026, Cognex agreed to acquire RealSense, a leader in depth-sensing camera and vision technology for robotic perception and Physical AI. The deal advances the company's strategy to diversify its growth engine by entering the high-growth robotic perception market. The company expects this $600 million market will grow to around $1.6 billion by 2030, a more than 25% compound annual growth rate.

It adds to the company's already strong growth profile. Its revenue grew 17% in the second quarter to $291 million, driven by strength across its business.

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6. Teradyne

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TER Teradyne

$335.61+$10.61 (+3.26%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:00 AM ET 10/19/26

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Robots are a smaller part of Teradyne's (TER +3.21%) business, which is mainly semiconductor testing. It's a developer of industrial equipment that automates repetitive tasks, primarily in the semiconductor industry. In manufacturing electronic devices, testing the products to ensure they work correctly is one of the most repetitive and time-intensive tasks.

Teradyne owns Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), two businesses it acquired in recent years. Universal Robots is known for devices like robotic arms used in manufacturing, and MiR for its self-driving bots used in warehouses.

Teradyne's revenue rocketed 104% in the second quarter of 2026, while its earnings surged over 300%. CEO Greg Smith noted in the earnings press release that "our strategy to capture test and robotics opportunities from wafer to AI data center has driven another record quarter."

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7. Ouster

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OUST Ouster

$28.59+$0.16 (+0.56%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:03 AM ET 10/19/26

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Ouster (OUST +0.56%) is a leader in sensing and perception for physical AI across industrial, robotics, automotive, and smart infrastructure. The company's unified platform features high-performance digital lidar cameras, AI compute, sensor fusion and perception software, and AI models.

The company enhanced its unified platform in early 2026 by closing its acquisition of Stereolabs, a pioneer in AI vision and perception solutions. It positions the company to provide a foundational end-to-end sensing and perception platform for physical AI.

Ouster's revenue surged 56% in the second quarter of 2026 to $55 million. That was its 14th straight quarter of growth in product revenue. The company is in a strong position to continue growing briskly, as more companies automate increasingly complex, real-world tasks.

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8. Symbotic

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SYM Symbotic

$38.48-$0.29 (-0.75%)

NASDAQ · As of 10:01 AM ET 10/19/26

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Symbotic (SYM -1.11%) focuses on warehouse robotics, making it one of the purest plays in the industry. The leading automation technology company helps companies reimagine their supply chain with its end-to-end, AI-powered robotic and software platform for warehouses.

The company expanded its capabilities in July 2026 by acquiring ARMS Innovation, a software company specializing in real-time operational intelligence solutions for complex automated warehouse environments. The deal will enable the company to advance a new industry category of warehouse operations optimization. That followed an early 2025 deal for Walmart's (NYSE:WMT) advanced systems and robotics business. As part of the deal, Symbotic is developing, building, and deploying an advanced solution to automate Walmart's accelerated pickup-and-delivery centers.

Symbotic's revenue jumped 22% in its fiscal 2026 third quarter to $721 million. The company sees continued growth ahead as more companies seek to automate their supply chains.

How to buy robotics stocks

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to invest in robotics stocks:

Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
Search for the stock: Enter the ticker into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

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Benefits and risks of investing in robotics stocks

Some of the positives of investing in the robotics sector include:

Growth potential: Demand for robotics is growing briskly. For example, global demand for factory robots could double over the next 10 years, according to a report by the International Federation of Robotics.
AI play: AI will play an important role in the future of robotics, making the sector another way to invest in the AI megatrend.
Diverse options: The robotics industry is broad, offering investors a range of opportunities. For example, there are companies focused on using robotics in healthcare, agriculture, and industrial automation.

On the other hand, some risks to investing in robotics stocks are:

Limited pure plays: Many of the largest robotics players are foreign or private companies. Meanwhile, others involved in the sector have more diversified operations. These factors limit pure play investment options.
Competition: There's a lot of competition in the sector, which might put the brakes on the robotics industry's profitability and growth.
High costs: Developing robots is expensive, which could slow their future adoption.

Methodology: How these stocks were chosen

Few U.S.-listed companies are pure-play robotics companies, so I had to look for businesses with identifiable robotics products or an emphasis on a robotics-driven future. I highlighted how central robotics was to the company, ranging from a core business to a smaller percentage of its revenue stream. The unranked list gives you options on some of the best ways to gain exposure to this emerging industry.

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Should you invest in robotics stocks?

The future for the robotics industry is very promising. Robotics has the potential to revolutionize several industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and agriculture. It can help companies in these industries save time, reduce costs, and increase productivity. According to a McKinsey estimate, the general-purpose robotics market could reach a staggering $370 billion by 2040, with 50% of that value coming from China.

Investors can choose between individual robotics stocks, such as those listed above, or a robotics-focused ETF to capitalize on the sector's growth. Notable ETF options include the First Trust Nasdaq AI and Robotics ETF (ROBT), the Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (ROBO), the Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ), and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF (ARKQ).

Individual stocks offer more upside but carry the risk of picking the wrong company even if the overall sector performs well. ETFs reduce that stock-specific risk but cap your upside compared to a top-performing individual name. The right choice depends on how much research you're willing to do and how much single-stock volatility you can stomach.

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Investing in robotics stocks: FAQ

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock analyst specializing in the energy, industrials, and real estate sectors since 2012. He also covers dividend-paying stocks, pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

TMFmd19

@MatthewDiLallo

Matt DiLallo has positions in Amazon, Intuitive Surgical, Shopify, and Tesla and has the following options: long January 2028 $520 calls on Intuitive Surgical, short January 2028 $530 calls on Intuitive Surgical, and short March 2026 $160 calls on Shopify. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Deere & Company , Intuitive Surgical, Nvidia, Shopify, Tesla, UiPath, and Zebra Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Rockwell Automation and Teradyne and recommends the following options: long January 2028 $520 calls on Intuitive Surgical and short January 2028 $530 calls on Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

8 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy in 2026 and How to Invest

An in-depth look at the top robotics stocks in the U.S. stock market this year.

Key Points

8 top robotics stocks for 2026

1. Nvidia

NVDA - Nvidia

Key data points

Semiconductor

2. Intuitive Surgical

ISRG - Intuitive Surgical

Key data points

3. Tesla

TSLA - Tesla

Key data points

4. Rockwell Automation

ROK - Rockwell Automation

Key data points

5. Cognex

CGNX - Cognex

Key data points

6. Teradyne

TER - Teradyne

Key data points

7. Ouster

OUST - Ouster

Key data points

8. Symbotic

SYM - Symbotic

Key data points

How to buy robotics stocks

Benefits and risks of investing in robotics stocks

Methodology: How these stocks were chosen

Should you invest in robotics stocks?

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Investing in robotics stocks: FAQ

What is the best robotics stock to buy?

What is the best robotics stock to buy?

Which company is leading in robotics?

Which company is leading in robotics?

What are the Big Four of robotics?

What are the Big Four of robotics?

Are there traditional non-tech companies that count as robotics stocks?

Are there traditional non-tech companies that count as robotics stocks?

Can robotics stocks provide dividend income?

Can robotics stocks provide dividend income?

Are robotic stocks a good investment?

Are robotic stocks a good investment?

About the Author

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Semiconductor

Investing in robotics stocks: FAQ

What is the best robotics stock to buy?

What is the best robotics stock to buy?

Which company is leading in robotics?

Which company is leading in robotics?

What are the Big Four of robotics?

What are the Big Four of robotics?

Are there traditional non-tech companies that count as robotics stocks?

Are there traditional non-tech companies that count as robotics stocks?

Can robotics stocks provide dividend income?

Can robotics stocks provide dividend income?

Are robotic stocks a good investment?

Are robotic stocks a good investment?

1. Nvidia

2. Intuitive Surgical

3. Tesla

4. Rockwell Automation

5. Cognex

6. Teradyne

7. Ouster

8. Symbotic

Benefits and risks of investing in robotics stocks

Methodology: How these stocks were chosen

NVDA Nvidia

ISRG Intuitive Surgical

TSLA Tesla

ROK Rockwell Automation

CGNX Cognex

TER Teradyne

OUST Ouster

SYM Symbotic

NVDA Nvidia

ISRG Intuitive Surgical

TSLA Tesla

ROK Rockwell Automation

CGNX Cognex

TER Teradyne

SYM Symbotic

OUST Ouster