Robotics and physical AI names are pushing higher in Tuesday afternoon trading as investors chase exposure to the theme following blockbuster demand for Chinese humanoid maker Unitree Robotics’ Shanghai IPO. Lidar leader Ouster (NASDAQ:OUST) is out in front, changing hands near $45, up 7% on the session.
Unitree IPO Frenzy Ignites Physical AI Bid
The catalyst comes from China Unitree’s Shanghai offering was reportedly more than 8,000 times oversubscribed by retail investors, compared with roughly 4x demand for SpaceX’s offering, a signal that appetite for humanoid and physical AI plays has reached a fever pitch. You can read our full breakdown here.
That enthusiasm is flowing straight into U.S. listed proxies. Symbotic (NASDAQ:SYM | SYM Price Prediction), the warehouse automation specialist, is trading around $41, up 3%. Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER), which pairs semiconductor test with a growing robotics segment, is up 3% to $376.
Fundamentals underneath the theme are already firming. Ouster just reported Q2 revenue of $54.63 million, up 55.9% year over year, and shipped more than 17,000 sensors in the quarter. CEO Angus Pacala said “Customers around the world have continued to scale their investments in Physical AI, and Ouster is well positioned to benefit as autonomy moves into more complex, real-world applications.” Symbotic is sitting on a backlog of roughly $22.5 billion, giving today’s move a real earnings tether.
Peers Follow the Move
The robotics bid is broad today. Aeva Technologies is trading at $24, up 2%, extending a one-week gain of 29% tied to its Daimler Truck and NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion programs. NVIDIA, the compute backbone for Isaac, Cosmos, and GR00T, is roughly flat at $218. Tesla, which is installing first-generation Optimus lines at Fremont, is ticking up to $332.
Year-to-date leadership tells the story. Teradyne is up 89% in 2026, while Ouster has gained 95%. Symbotic is the notable laggard, down 33% year to date, which is why today’s move looks more like a short-covering catch-up than trend confirmation. Teradyne’s Q2 revenue of $1.33 billion more than doubled year over year, with CEO Greg Smith citing “rapid increase in wafer fab equipment investment” as a setup for 2027.
What to Watch
The near-term test is whether IPO fever translates into sustained flows or fades once Unitree begins trading in Shanghai. Analysts still model upside from here, with consensus targets of $58 on Ouster and $450 on Teradyne.
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