We recently published a list of 8 Most Promising Robotics Stocks According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) stands against other most promising robotics stocks according to hedge funds.

The Service Robotics Industry Is on the Move

The robotics industry was once considered to eat human jobs and replace them with machines. However, robotics is not about replacing humans but it’s about improving and automating human tasks to reduce time and improve task efficiency. The AI boom has accelerated the adoption of automation in organizations. Companies, especially after the launch of ChatGPT, have been relying on generative AI services. Now, we are experiencing robotics alongside AI, a revolutionary development. Hospitality, agriculture, professional cleaning, automotive, and medical are some of the biggest industries using robots.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the sales of professional service robots soared by 30% in 2023 worldwide. IFR’s statistics department registered over 205,000 robotics units in 2023, with the Asia-Pacific region recording the highest sales in the world. The Asia-Pacific region reported 80% of global robotics sales, accounting for almost 162,284 units.

The transportation and logistics service was among the markets with the highest robotics sales in 2023. The total units built for the application class transportation and logistics was approximately 113,000, up 35% year-over-year. The demand for the robotics industry is due to a shortage of skilled labour, as per the 2024 report by IFR. Elon Musk has been in the news since the launch of his company’s robotaxis. The robotaxis could be a game changer for robotics automation in outdoor environments.

Hospitality robots are another big thing in the robotics industry today. In 2023, more than 54,000 units were sold in the hospitality sector, with mobile guidance, information, and telepresence robots accounting for most of the robotics units. Sales for agricultural robots were 20,000, while cleaning robots reported sales of 12,000 units, up by 21% and 4%, respectively. Professional cleaning robots are mainly being used for floor cleaning, which represents nearly 70% of the total units sold in 2023. Medical remains another growing sector as medical robots soared by 36% to almost 6,100 units. The demand for surgery and diagnostics robots was the highest as they grew by 14% and 25% year-over-year.

The US Robotics Market

The United States remains the leader among the service and medical robot manufacturers. Nearly 199 companies are based out of the US, with 66% of them producing professional service robots, 27% consumer service robots, and 12% medical robots. China follows the US with 107 service and medical robot manufacturers, while Germany ranks third with 83 companies. Earlier this year, Bill Gates pointed out several “cutting-edge robotics startups and labs” that excite him, including three companies focused on developing humanoids. One of them is Agility Robotics which focuses on developing human-centric, multipurpose robots for logistics work.

Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (NASDAQ:BOTZ), Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (NYSE:ROBO), and First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence & Robotics ETF (NASDAQ:ROBT) are three of the well-known robotics ETFs. These ETFs have surged more than 37%, 20%, and 19% over the last 1 year, as of November 7. The average return of these ETFs is over 25% in the last 1 year, which is lower than the S&P 500 index returns of over 35% during the same period.

Our Methodology

For this list, we sifted through various ETFs and internet rankings covering robotics stocks to compile an initial list. We then selected the top robotics stocks that were the most popular among hedge funds and had a market capitalization of at least $1 billion, as of November 7. We ranked the top 8 stocks based on the number of hedge fund holders in Q2 2024 as per Insider Monkey’s database. The list is ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge fund holders.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 85

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has been all about excitement over the past few years, following its rise in the EV market and then facing severe competition from Chinese competitors. However, Tesla is trying to make a comeback as it seems to be one of the most promising growth stocks according to the hedge funds, as it bets on AI and robotics. Even though the company makes the majority of its revenues in selling electric vehicles, it also operates a lucrative energy storage business that promises to generate long-term value. Now, with the launch of robotaxis, it can be a game changer for Tesla, according to Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities managing director.

Analysts have had a mixed take on Tesla’s robotaxis. During an earnings call in 2019, Elon Musk promised to put a fleet of one million robotaxis on the road in 2020. Five years later, Musk finally revealed its robotaxis along with a Robovan and Tesla bot. According to RBC Capital Markets global autos analyst, Tom Narayan, Tesla’s robotaxis could generate over $1.7 trillion in revenue by 2040. CNBC’s Jim Cramer was not pleased at all after Tesla’s Robotaxi unveiling. While impressed by the concept of the Cybercab, Cramer said the event’s demonstration lacked substance and failed to prove its technological prowess.

Tesla seems to struggle as an EV company and is focusing on diversifying its revenue base. However, it remains a promising robotics stock after its recent launch event.

ClearBridge Small Cap Value Strategy stated the following regarding Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) manufactures electric vehicles, related software and components, and solar and energy storage products. The stock contributed as Tesla continued to drive vehicle manufacturing costs lower, accelerate the launch of new models, and invest heavily in its lucrative AI initiatives. Shareholders reaffirmed the CEO’s compensation plan, alleviating personnel and legal uncertainties. Despite material operational complexities resulting in significant shutdowns of key manufacturing facilities and lower sales volume, Tesla presented better-than-expected margins in the quarter. It expects to launch a lower-cost model as soon as late 2024, which should result in accelerated revenue growth, reduced manufacturing costs, and increased factory utilization. The company continued to advance its autonomous driving capabilities, expanding its already significant data centers and developing its humanoid robot Optimus. These investments increased confidence in the attractive growth opportunities that remain ahead.”

Overall, TSLA ranks 1st on our list of most promising robotics stocks according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSLA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.