Hyundai Motor Group shares surged across the board Friday as expectations grew over the conglomerate's humanoid robot business. The group-wide humanoid mass production roadmap has spread investor sentiment beyond automakers to parts, software, and logistics affiliates.
According to the Korea Exchange on Friday, Hyundai Mobis (012330.KS) was trading at 675,000 won, up 140,000 won, or 26.17%, from the previous session. Other group stocks including Hyundai Motor (005380.KS, up 12.25%), Kia (000270.KS, up 12.99%), and Hyundai AutoEver (307950.KS, up 15.05%) also posted strong gains.
The rally is attributed to Hyundai Motor Group's recent disclosure of its robotics business blueprint and mass production plans centered on the humanoid robot "Atlas" at the JP Morgan conference held in Boston. Hyundai Motor and Kia presented plans to establish a production system for 30,000 Atlas units annually and to fully launch a robot value chain through role distribution among affiliates.
The market is paying particular attention to the collaboration structure with Boston Dynamics. Hyundai Mobis will handle production of core components such as actuators and plans to build a system capable of supplying more than 350,000 units annually from its U.S. production base. Hyundai AutoEver is expected to take charge of robot system integration (SI) and data operation platform construction, serving roles in smart factory and robot control systems.
Brokerages are also raising their price targets one after another. Daol Investment & Securities lifted its target price for Hyundai Mobis to 900,000 won from 600,000 won on Friday. "Considering the value of leadership in component supply for Boston Dynamics and the potential for corporate value appreciation, Hyundai Mobis could emerge as a key company in the group's governance restructuring," said Yoo Ji-woong, an analyst at Daol Investment & Securities. "The market capitalization gap relative to Hyundai Motor is also at a historic low."
Some analysts predict that the humanoid business could go beyond a mere theme and lead to a re-evaluation of the group's entire value chain. In the case of Hyundai AutoEver, expansion possibilities are being raised into robot operating systems (OS), control platforms, and data management businesses based on its existing vehicle software and smart factory capabilities. Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand the application of Atlas starting with its U.S. electric vehicle plant in 2028.
Brokerages are watching the potential for robotics to become a new valuation axis for Hyundai Motor Group. "The humanoid robot industry is now in its early stage, and it is too early to discuss the upper limits of growth," said Kim Gwi-yeon, an analyst at Daishin Securities. "Valuation expansion driven by humanoid expectations is likely to continue in the first half of this year."
