The Chinese humanoid robot industry is expected to rapidly develop starting this year, leading to a surge in the stock prices of related corporations. Companies are continually hitting the upper limit on stock prices, with some showing a three-digit increase over the past week. Securities experts diagnose that the growth trend of the humanoid robot industry is just beginning, and it is hard to deny that corporations' outlooks are bright. However, the current surge in stock prices is considered irrational, prompting corporations to warn investors about the risks directly.
According to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on the 24th, the stock price of Hangzhou Qianjin (杭齒前進) surged 114% over 8 trading days from the 12th to the 21st. During the same period, its market capitalization jumped from 3.782 billion yuan (about 750 billion won) to 8.16 billion yuan (approximately 1.6 trillion won). The state-owned corporation, Hangzhou Qianjin, manufactures gear devices for various fields, including shipbuilding and wind power, and has been attracting market attention since announcing on the 10th that it would begin developing humanoid robot joint components.
Humanoid robots have become the hottest keyword in the Chinese stock market recently. Changsheng Bearing (長盛軸承) began its surge on the 6th and increased by over 100% until the 21st. This company manufactures bearings that allow humanoid robot joints to move smoothly. Additionally, the robotics software specialist, Xinsda (新時達), recorded upper limit stock prices for 5 consecutive days, while the stock price of Shengtong Printing Co., Ltd. (盛通) with a humanoid robot subsidiary rose nearly 70% over the past month.
The emergence of stocks related to humanoid robots began to gain attention at the end of last month when state-run China Central Television (CCTV) aired a Spring Festival Gala show. Unitree (宇樹科技), known as Yushukeji in China, showcased its humanoid robot 'H1' performing a traditional dance from northern China with 16 dancers, executing difficult movements such as tossing and catching a handkerchief perfectly. As the perception grows that China's humanoid robot technology has reached a high level and that the day when related products become widely distributed is near, global attention has been drawn.
In addition, Wang Xingsheng, the founder of Unitree, reportedly attended a private enterprise forum hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 17th and said, “By the end of this year, the overall artificial intelligence (AI) humanoid robots will reach a new level,” which further fueled the rise of stocks related to humanoid robots that were already on an upward trend. Particularly, as it was spotted that Wang was sitting in the front row of the forum, the stock prices of corporations collaborating with Unitree have soared even further.
Chinese securities experts believe that the growth potential of humanoid robot corporations is undeniable. China International Capital Corporation (CICC) reported that humanoid robots have the largest demand space in terms of AI utilization, and their applications are evolving the fastest. They decided to maintain an optimistic investment stance, noting that the path to expand from a corporation-centered model to a consumer-oriented model is clear. Guohai Securities also stated in a report that, “This year, humanoid robot corporations will enter the stage of manufacturing the robot body, and domestic and foreign corporations will build large AI models,” adding that “the construction and commercialization of the humanoid robot industry chain will proceed rapidly.”
However, there are warnings that the current surge in related stocks is irrational. The corporations themselves are releasing various statements to calm the market. Hangzhou Qianjin stated on the 19th, “The joint component technology project we are undertaking is still in its early stages, and the research results are uncertain,” adding, “As there are no related products and no sales revenue has occurred, we hope for rational investment.” Lingyun Guang, which provides AI solutions for research and development (R&D) and training to Unitree, also urged to “pay attention to investment risks,” noting that “the revenue from the services provided to Unitree amounts to only 10,000 yuan (about 2 million won).”