David Fingold Keyence Corp KYCCF-5 TOP PICK Jan 03, 2018

Robotics? The leaders in robotics are in Japan. The applications are really broad. Everything from robotic arms to the manufacturing of cars.

This is a Japanese corporation. They literally allow robots to see. They also make different kinds of sensors. Their value proposition is that their products pay back for their clients, very frequently in under 12 months. He doesn’t believe they’ve had a down year, because the products provide such strong payback to clients. (Analysts’ price target is 71,577¥)

(Past Top Pick, Aug.14, 2017, Up 30%) They make sensors to let robots see. He's owned it for five years. It has a 55% operating profit margin and 80% gross margins. As cap spending increases, he thinks more will go to automation, including robot vision.

They make machine vision systems. They are one of three. They are very interesting businesses. He sold earlier in the year because it had done very well for him and there was a slowing in capital spending plans in automation. He would always keep it on the watch list.