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Symbotic Up More Than 100% in a Year: How to Approach the Stock?
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Key Takeaways
SYM gained 101.1% in a year, beating BITF but trailing COHR in the Technology Services industry.
A $22.5B backlog and 25-29% projected revenue growth support near-term fundamentals.
High valuation, earnings estimate decline and Walmart reliance pose risks to SYM's continued momentum.
Symbotic (SYM - Free Report) has been one of the most eye-catching performers with dizzying gains of 101.1% in a year. The stock has outperformed the Zacks Technology Services industry and fellow industry player Bitfarms (BITF - Free Report) . However, another industry participant, Coherent Corp. (COHR - Free Report) , has performed even better.
1-Year Price Comparison
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Symbotic is being well-served by its sizable backlog, which offers strong visibility into future revenue generation. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, the company had a backlog of $22.5 billion. The company’s healthy backlog position drove year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.
For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Symbotic projects revenues in the range of $610-$630 million, indicating year-over-year growth in the 25-29% band and adjusted EBITDA between $49 million and $53 million.
However, such an explosive rally is bound to raise an obvious question: Can the stock maintain the rally, or is it time to take profits? Let us delve deeper and analyze Symbotic’s fundamentals to answer the question.
SYM Has Tailwinds but Now Faces Challenges
As already mentioned, the robust backlog position underscores sustained demand for Symbotic’s solutions. The company is also well-positioned for margin expansion, supported by the steady cadence of system deployments. In addition, strong free cash flow generation and a favorable current ratio reflect a healthy liquidity profile.
However, Symbotic’s heavy reliance on Walmart (WMT - Free Report) remains a key concern, as the retailer represents a significant portion of its total revenues. In January 2025, Symbotic acquired the Advanced Systems and Robotics business from Walmart and signed a Master Automation Agreement that provides for the development, manufacture and installation of automated systems for online pickup and delivery at the latter’s retail stores. This acquisition added a new product category for SYM to address the opportunity for automated fulfillment of customer orders at the local and store level, which supports the growth of e-commerce. Following the deepening of the relationship with Walmart, SYM is in the process of developing an advanced micro-fulfillment system for future deployments.
While no immediate risk is anticipated, investors should remain mindful of the company’s customer concentration exposure. Moreover, Symbotic does not pay dividends and has no plans to initiate one, which may limit the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors. The company also faces challenges related to international expansion, particularly in adapting its technology to varying operational environments and customer needs. Additionally, ongoing tariff-related economic uncertainty could adversely impact Symbotic’s future operations and financial performance.
SYM has a mixed earnings surprise history, having beaten estimates twice in the past four quarters. Its earnings have lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the two other quarters. The average beat is 69.3%.
SYM stock is trading at a substantial premium, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 11.65 compared with the industry’s 2.6. The premium valuation exposes investors to sharp volatility and heightens downside risk in the near to medium term.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Symbotic has a Value Score of F, like Bitfarms, while Coherent has a value score of D. Bitfarms and Coherent also trade at a premium relative to the industry.
Symbotic Is a Risky Investment Now
Based on the write-up, we can safely conclude that the company’s long-term outlook is strong and some investors may be willing to accept the premium. However, its current stock price already reflects a lot of this optimism. With the company facing certain risks, like reliance on a particular and challenges in scaling new technology, jumping in now might mean overpaying.
The Wall Street average target price for Symbotic is $61.4, suggesting a 1.1% downside. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings per share indicates a 78% year-over-year decrease. Notably, high research and development costs, which were up 24.5% year over year in fiscal 2025, are pressurizing the bottom line.
Despite the backlog-related optimism, SYM, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), looks like a stock to avoid rather than chase.
Image: Bigstock
Symbotic Up More Than 100% in a Year: How to Approach the Stock?
Key Takeaways
Symbotic (SYM - Free Report) has been one of the most eye-catching performers with dizzying gains of 101.1% in a year. The stock has outperformed the Zacks Technology Services industry and fellow industry player Bitfarms (BITF - Free Report) . However, another industry participant, Coherent Corp. (COHR - Free Report) , has performed even better.
1-Year Price Comparison
Symbotic is being well-served by its sizable backlog, which offers strong visibility into future revenue generation. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, the company had a backlog of $22.5 billion. The company’s healthy backlog position drove year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.
For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Symbotic projects revenues in the range of $610-$630 million, indicating year-over-year growth in the 25-29% band and adjusted EBITDA between $49 million and $53 million.
However, such an explosive rally is bound to raise an obvious question: Can the stock maintain the rally, or is it time to take profits? Let us delve deeper and analyze Symbotic’s fundamentals to answer the question.
SYM Has Tailwinds but Now Faces Challenges
As already mentioned, the robust backlog position underscores sustained demand for Symbotic’s solutions. The company is also well-positioned for margin expansion, supported by the steady cadence of system deployments. In addition, strong free cash flow generation and a favorable current ratio reflect a healthy liquidity profile.
However, Symbotic’s heavy reliance on Walmart (WMT - Free Report) remains a key concern, as the retailer represents a significant portion of its total revenues. In January 2025, Symbotic acquired the Advanced Systems and Robotics business from Walmart and signed a Master Automation Agreement that provides for the development, manufacture and installation of automated systems for online pickup and delivery at the latter’s retail stores. This acquisition added a new product category for SYM to address the opportunity for automated fulfillment of customer orders at the local and store level, which supports the growth of e-commerce. Following the deepening of the relationship with Walmart, SYM is in the process of developing an advanced micro-fulfillment system for future deployments.
While no immediate risk is anticipated, investors should remain mindful of the company’s customer concentration exposure. Moreover, Symbotic does not pay dividends and has no plans to initiate one, which may limit the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors. The company also faces challenges related to international expansion, particularly in adapting its technology to varying operational environments and customer needs. Additionally, ongoing tariff-related economic uncertainty could adversely impact Symbotic’s future operations and financial performance.
SYM has a mixed earnings surprise history, having beaten estimates twice in the past four quarters. Its earnings have lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the two other quarters. The average beat is 69.3%.
Symbotic Price and EPS Surprise
Symbotic Inc. price-eps-surprise | Symbotic Inc. Quote
SYM’s Valuation Is Sky High
SYM stock is trading at a substantial premium, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 11.65 compared with the industry’s 2.6. The premium valuation exposes investors to sharp volatility and heightens downside risk in the near to medium term.
Symbotic has a Value Score of F, like Bitfarms, while Coherent has a value score of D. Bitfarms and Coherent also trade at a premium relative to the industry.
Symbotic Is a Risky Investment Now
Based on the write-up, we can safely conclude that the company’s long-term outlook is strong and some investors may be willing to accept the premium. However, its current stock price already reflects a lot of this optimism. With the company facing certain risks, like reliance on a particular and challenges in scaling new technology, jumping in now might mean overpaying.
The Wall Street average target price for Symbotic is $61.4, suggesting a 1.1% downside. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings per share indicates a 78% year-over-year decrease. Notably, high research and development costs, which were up 24.5% year over year in fiscal 2025, are pressurizing the bottom line.
Despite the backlog-related optimism, SYM, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), looks like a stock to avoid rather than chase.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.