Key Points
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Robotics could be the biggest stock market trend for the industrials sector in 2027.
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Symbotic has a strong partnership with Walmart and is posting encouraging sales and earnings growth.
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Kraken Robotics’ technologies for subsea drones and other maritime applications could see strong growth.
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The robotics revolution is still in its very early stages, and investors who back top players in the space will likely wind up scoring massive long-term returns. The rise of robots has the potential to open up a wide range of efficiency improvements, turbocharge fledgling industries, and pave the way for entirely new business opportunities.
Robotics adoption and innovation are ramping up — and I expect this dynamic to be the most powerful driver of bullish momentum for the industrials sector in 2027. With that in mind, read on for a look at two robotics stocks that I think are worth building positions in before next year arrives.
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1. Symbotic
Symbotic (NASDAQ: SYM) designs and manufactures robots for warehouse and manufacturing automation and also develops the software these systems run on. The company’s largest customer is Walmart, with sales to the retail giant accounting for over 90% of the robotics specialist’s total sales in its last quarter.
While such a high level of dependence on one customer typically comes with a lot of risk, the two companies have a very close relationship. Walmart is one of Symbotic’s largest shareholders, and Symbotic purchased and integrated Walmart’s robotics division in a deal with terms that seemed very favorable and suggested a very long-term partnership.
In short, I think there’s relatively little risk that Walmart will ditch Symbotic within the next decade. The robotics specialist’s relationship with the world’s largest retailer by revenue suggests big growth opportunities as Walmart continues to ramp up its warehouse automation initiatives.
Crucially, Symbotic has already been posting growth that looks quite encouraging. Last quarter, the company’s revenue grew 21.7% year over year to reach $720.84 million. Meanwhile, net income for the period came in at $55 million — swinging from a loss of $21 million in the prior-year period.
Despite solid momentum for the business, Symbotic stock trades near its 52-week low. With the stock down 56% from its peak, now could be a worthwhile time to build a position.
Symbotic’s business is posting meaningful profits and growing revenue at a healthy clip. While the company’s forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of roughly 51 highlights the fact that some strong growth is still priced into the stock, the business is only valued at roughly 1.4 times this year’s expected sales.
2. Kraken Robotics
Kraken Robotics (OTC: KRKNF) is a Canadian company that’s helping to make autonomous underwater technologies a reality. While the company does make some full systems that could be described as robots, that’s not the core of its business. Kraken designs and manufactures batteries and sensor technologies used in underwater drones built by third parties.
For example, Anduril’s Dive-LD and Dive-XL uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) feature Kraken’s SeaPower batteries and sensor tech. These underwater drones provide relatively low-cost alternatives to crewed underwater vehicles, with Dive-LD tailored for missions including surveillance and mine detection, and Dive-XL with strike capabilities.
These UUVs allow militaries to be more nimble and can be used in situations that would be dangerous for ship crews. Kraken’s tech makes it possible for them to operate at depth for prolonged periods and navigate their environments.
In addition to its drone products, Kraken’s portfolio includes technologies for maritime monitoring and detailed seafloor mapping. This tech can be useful for defense applications, offshore energy projects, and mining by providing information to support crucial decisions in high-cost scenarios.
As the underwater robotics space continues to evolve, Kraken has a collection of technologies that give it multiple ways to win — and the company’s valuation has been pushed down to a level that could leave room for explosive upside.
Kraken’s shares trade down roughly 61% from the high they reached in March due to uncertainty about how the company’s 615 million Canadian dollar acquisition of the Covelya group will pan out, a contraction in valuation multiples for defense tech companies, and the uneven and speculative nature of the business’s demand outlook. Kraken remains risky, but it has enough going for it to make it a worthwhile long-term play heading into 2027.
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Keith Noonan has positions in Kraken Robotics. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Kraken Robotics, Symbotic, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
