VPG
Vishay Precision Group, Inc.
stock NYSE

My top pick this week is the same as last week (NBIS), but I'll also look into BB, CXII, VPG

Humanoid robotics is picking up as a theme 
A humanoid needs to turn AI decisions into physical motion which sounds obvious, but it is the main point.
The robot can only walk, lift, grip, balance, and work safely if its actuator system is reliable, precise, compact, and affordable.
Think of the as the muscles of humanoid robots:
https://preview.redd.it/oo5cddv38lah1.png?width=1388&format=png&auto=webp&s=f1add95c4db8f5a5393e8abf8bb4ebe5629d328b
The main actuator stack consists of 
* Harmonic / strain-wave reducers
* RVreducers
* Planetary roller screws
* Frameless and coreless motors
* Force / tactile sensors
* NdFeB permanent magnets
This is where the bill of materials is the highest. Current high-end humanoid BOM estimates are roughly $50,000–$60,000 per unit, with motion hardware representing the largest share. 
The rotary and linear actuators can represent around half of humanoid BOM cost and this is the picks and shovels moment - if humanoids scale, actuator suppliers will see the most direct and repeatable revenue per unit. 
The stocks:
Schaeffler — SHA DE 
It has exposure across linear motion, rotary and linear actuators, sensors, power transmission and maintenance. It is also one of the few large industrial suppliers explicitly positioning humanoids as a strategic growth vertical especially with their actuator platform. In addition to this, they manufacture bearings and sensors.
In addition to this their planetary gear actuators are v compact and have high power density, which is perfect for humanoid robots. 
Nabtesco - NCTKY
A subcategory of the actuators are the reducers. Motors spin fast, but robot joints need to move slowly, precisely, and with high force - the reducer is the gearbox between the motor and the joint. There are two types of reducers - Harmonic and RV - and once designed in cannot be easily swapped 
Nabtesco says it holds about 60% global share in precision reduction gears for industrial robots and is not exactly a pure play on humanoid robots, but are planning and expansion and will sustain revenue throughout the adoption of humanoid robots as their reducers are used in industrial robots as well. Their capacity utilization in China is 100% and steadily rising in Japan, so if there’s a demand shock, there’s not much capacity to utilize. 
Harmonic reducers are the reducers that are going to be used in humanoid robots and Harmonics Drive a pure play on them. They however are more risky if the theme does not play out as expected. 
Hesai - Hesai is one of the stronger volume lidar (light detection and ranging) suppliers. This is the robots vision as by measuring the time it takes for reflected light to return, robots determine accurate distances to objects. This one is v interesting as it got target by institutional bullish flow this morning
NdFeB magnets and rare-earth refining can prove to be one of the bottlenecks for the industry as compact robotic joints depends on NdFeB magnets and china hina accountes for about 60% of mined magnet rare earths, 91% of refining, and 94% of sintered permanent magnet production.Neo Performance Materials is are the pick here with their Magnequench business. It’s is profitable and its European magnet facility is moving toward launch, and its hafnium/gallium/tantalum line adds quite a bit of value. 
The last one is VPG - Humanoids need force feedback to grip objects, walk safely, control contact, and avoid damaging people or equipment. They have already disclosed early humanoid-related order flow, but the numbers are still small. However but that is exactly why the setup is interesting. If force sensing becomes standard across hands, wrists, ankles, feet, and joints, VPGs revenue is going to rise.

Holding positions in all of the above since May

OUST/VPG/CCXI
Robotics is hot rn read the room