HOT STOCK: Hyundai Motor jumps over 4% early Tuesday on robotics timeline

Photo by Yonhap — Zachary Jackowski, Vice President and General Manager of Atlas at Boston Dynamics, unveils the humanoid robot "Atlas" at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Jan. 5, 2026. Yonhap

SEOUL, January 6 (AJP) - Shares of Hyundai Motor surged in early trading Tuesday, as investors cheered the company's newly unveiled AI and robotics roadmap at CES 2026, fueling optimism that growth engines beyond its core automotive business are taking clearer shape.

As of 9:14 a.m., Hyundai Motor was trading at 317,500 won(US$235), up 13,000 won, or 4.27 percent, from the previous close of 304,500 won. The stock briefly climbed as high as 330,000 won before paring gains amid broad profit-taking. By 10:24 a.m., shares eased to 307,500 won, tracking a broader market pause after recent gains.

The KOSPI slipped 0.4 percent to 4,438.4 as investors locked in profits following the index's year-end rally.

The stock opened strong following Hyundai Motor Group's overnight presentation at CES in Las Vegas, where the company laid out a detailed timeline for AI-driven robotics and so-called "physical AI" technologies, underscoring its push to integrate artificial intelligence into manufacturing, mobility and industrial automation.

Chung Euisun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, has recently described artificial intelligence as a "winnable game" for the group, citing strengths in physical manufacturing, mobility platforms and real-world data. According to industry sources, Chung has emphasized that Hyundai's ability to integrate AI across vehicles, robots and production systems gives it a structural edge over peers.

At CES, the group showcased its humanoid robot Atlas, outlining plans to begin mass production in 2028 and deploy the robots at scale on U.S. assembly lines by 2030 — a timeline that analysts said helped crystallize Hyundai's commercialization strategy.

Momentum was further bolstered after Hyundai's autonomous mobility robot platform MobED won the Best of Innovation Award in the robotics category at CES 2026. The accolade marked Hyundai’s first top-tier innovation award at the exhibition and was widely viewed as external validation of its robotics technology and commercialization potential.

Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Co. — Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

Hyundai said it plans to leverage its software-defined factory (SDF) framework to test and validate robotics technologies in live manufacturing environments before scaling them into broader industrial, commercial and daily-life applications. Analysts said the approach signals a shift from concept-driven showcases toward practical deployment and ecosystem building — improving visibility on future monetization from AI and robotics initiatives.

Hyundai Motor reported on Monday that it sold 4.14 million vehicles in 2025, down 0.1 percent from 2024, with domestic sales rising 1.1 percent while overseas sales fell 0.3 percent.

Ryu Yuna Julia37@ajunews.com