$S&P 500(.SPX)$ The robotics trade has surged again, supported by renewed capital inflows into automation, industrial technology, and U.S. reshoring beneficiaries. The sector’s underlying momentum looks very different from typical short-lived speculative bursts seen earlier this year. Instead, robotics stocks—across hardware, software orchestration, and AI-driven automation—are showing signs of a secular growth cycle that has strengthened in the final stretch of the year. At the same time, “Trump plays” tied to manufacturing revival, defense technology, energy infrastructure, and border-security robotics have been unusually volatile. The question for investors is whether the latest pullback creates opportunity or signals exhaustion. With both