AI, robotics and e-mobility - bring on the year-end rally! Alphabet, Stellantis, First Hydrogen and Ubtech Robotics in focus

Alphabet: Severe setback or just a blip?

Things do not always run smoothly! Tech titan Alphabet suffered a severe 13% setback on the stock market after presenting its Q3 figures, even though total revenue rose sharply by 25% year on year to USD 127.6 billion. Nevertheless, the technology giant narrowly missed the market's high expectations. Investors' biggest concern relates to the heart of the group, as growth in Google search advertising lost considerable momentum. Reasons for this include experiments with advertising formats in the new AI-powered chatbot search, which have not yet been monetised as hoped. At the same time, investment in artificial intelligence soared, pushing free cash flow deep into negative territory at minus USD 9.07 billion. A bright spot, however, was the cloud business, whose revenue more than doubled, rising 103% to USD 30.7 billion. Accounting losses running into billions from investments such as SpaceX also weighed on net profit, so earnings per share of USD 2.67 fell short of forecasts. The outlook remains mixed: while management announced another significant increase in capital expenditure for 2027, the immense cloud order backlog of USD 561 billion provides a strong fundamental basis for the future. In recent years, every plunge has been a buying opportunity for Alphabet shares! After all, the experts on the LSEG platform expect prices of over USD 400 in 12 months.

Stellantis: Like a phoenix from the ashes

Results reporting went very differently at beleaguered automotive manufacturer Stellantis. The sharp share price jump of over 20% following the presentation of the Q3 2026 figures can be attributed to a combination of relief and operational progress. The main catalyst is net revenue, which unexpectedly rose 1% to EUR 37.6 billion, well above analysts' pessimistic forecasts. At the same time, adjusted operating profit jumped 184% to EUR 256 million, underscoring the effectiveness of the new restructuring plan. A key driver was the return to profitability in the historically important North American market, where new Jeep and RAM model launches drove the turnaround. The automaker also celebrated a major success in electric mobility in Europe, where sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) surged by 65%, partly thanks to the partnership with Leapmotor. Progress on the "FaSTLAne 2030" cost-cutting programme, which is rapidly reducing costs and is expected to meet 40% of its targeted efficiency goals by year-end, also relieved market concerns. Finally, the stock market rewarded management's firm reaffirmation of its full-year forecast for 2026 and its prospect of a return to positive cash flow in 2027. So things can turn out differently! The shares have lost 75% of their market value in 5 years. An initial entry at EUR 4.24 could pay off in the medium term!

First Hydrogen: Robotics breakthrough opens up new prospects

More news from First Hydrogen on humanoid robotics. In early September, the innovative Canadian company announced a definitive agreement to acquire a 60% stake in Exodus Actuation Solutions, which brings 26 granted and 10 pending patents for drive, transmission and motor technologies. By late September, the company successfully built its unmanned ground vehicle, meeting the agreed development milestone. The platform combines transformable wheels, a drivetrain designed for directional stability, semi-robotic suspension and interchangeable payload modules, allowing a single base vehicle to be configured for different missions. An already integrated module also demonstrates mobile drone launch and transport. This is a concrete step beyond a mere concept drawing. Alongside subsidiary First Humanoid, a second technological pillar is emerging alongside the UGV business, though commercial testing will begin only with paying customers, orders and robust margins.

The targeted market potential extends far beyond individual applications: Fortune Business Insights forecasts unmanned ground vehicle growth from around USD 13 billion in 2026 to over USD 32 billion by 2034, an annual growth rate of 18.7%. The decisive progress in recent weeks is the leap from the development agreement to a fully built physical UGV platform (Unmanned Ground Vehicle). This gives the robotics strategy a tangible technological foundation for the first time, on which concrete applications for logistics, security, industry and defence can be built. The combination of modular robotics, autonomous systems and the long-term goal of integrating clean energy technologies within one company is exciting. For investors, this shifts the focus from a pure hydrogen growth story to a technology company whose future valuation will likely depend largely on whether it can successfully market these new platforms. After a prolonged consolidation, the company's CAD 27 million market capitalisation may suggest its valuation is approaching a floor. After all, First Hydrogen is making dynamic progress in key areas shaping the automated future.

Ubtech Robotics: From niche player to humanoid pioneer

The robotics trend has been underway in China for a while! Chinese pioneer Ubtech Robotics is underpinning its global expansion with a series of groundbreaking milestones. In its latest interim report, the company reported explosive year-on-year revenue growth of over 104%, driven by a sharp increase in sales of its AI-powered humanoid robots. International industrial customers such as Airbus and German drugstore chain Rossmann are testing the robots in practice, while the first large orders from distribution partners have already been received. Finally, an exclusive, three-year distribution agreement in Japan for six robot lines, including the Walker S2 model, underpins the sharply accelerating commercial momentum. A new large-scale facility provides the technical basis for series production, but success now depends on sustained high market demand and full utilisation of the production lines. To strengthen operations, the company also secured USD 139 million in fresh capital to drastically ramp up production capacity. From an investor perspective, the long-term prospects are fundamentally promising, as Ubtech, unlike developers of mere concepts, is already delivering significant unit volumes to real industrial environments. Massive manufacturing scale-up and international diversification are noticeably reducing dependence on the Chinese home market. Nevertheless, because of ongoing operating losses and the high capital requirements for research and development, the stock remains a volatile bet on a global mass-market breakthrough in humanoid robotics for now. Very exciting!

Conclusion

It happened faster than many expected: high-tech stocks, led by AI and chip stocks, are entering their second serious correction. 2026 apparently still has a few surprises in store. But rather than selling in a panic, investors should stay cool: check stops once again and set lower buy limits for the established blockbusters. Things are getting particularly exciting at the innovative First Hydrogen, as its share price could suddenly shoot up at any moment.