What Is ROBT? First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ETF
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
ROBT is a First Trust fund holding companies across artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation. It tracks the Nasdaq CTA AI and Robotics Index using a modified equal-weight approach, so mid-cap innovators like Tempus AI, Palo Alto Networks, and Cloudflare carry weights similar to mega-caps rather than being buried under them. It charges 0.65% and holds around $750 million. It suits investors wanting broad, diversified AI-and-robotics exposure instead of a top-heavy tech fund.
ROBT is issued by First Trust Advisors and tracks Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Index. It charges a 0.65% expense ratio, holds approximately ~$750 million in assets under management, yields about ~0.2%, and launched in February 2018.
What is ROBT?
ROBT is the First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ETF, a fund that invests in companies driving AI, robotics, and automation. It tracks the Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Index, which sorts companies into enablers, engagers, and enhancers of the theme.
What sets ROBT apart is its modified equal-weight methodology. Instead of letting a few giant tech stocks dominate, the fund gives mid-cap and smaller innovators weights similar to the large names, producing broad, diversified exposure to the AI and robotics story.
ROBT holdings
Approximate weights as of mid-2026; refresh quarterly from First Trust Advisors's fund page. Each ticker links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.
| Rank | Ticker | Company | % of ROBT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEM | Tempus AI, Inc. | ~1.8% | |
| 2 | PANW | Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | ~1.8% | |
| 3 | ILMN | Illumina, Inc. | ~1.8% | |
| 4 | CCC | CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. | ~1.7% | |
| 5 | NET | Cloudflare, Inc. | ~1.7% | |
| 6 | S | SentinelOne, Inc. | ~1.7% | |
| 7 | APPN | Appian Corporation | ~1.6% | |
| 8 | OII | Oceaneering International, Inc. | ~1.6% | |
| 9 | DT | Dynatrace, Inc. | ~1.6% | |
| 10 | NICE | NICE Ltd | ~1.6% |
ROBT holds well over 100 stocks spanning enterprise software, cybersecurity, semiconductors, healthcare AI, and industrial automation. Recent top positions include Tempus AI, Palo Alto Networks, Illumina, CCC Intelligent Solutions, Cloudflare, SentinelOne, and Dynatrace, each carrying only a small share of the fund.
Because of equal weighting, the top ten holdings make up less than half the portfolio, and no single company drives performance. The list mixes US and international names across the AI and robotics value chain, from data and analytics to physical automation.
ROBT vs BOTZ and broad tech funds
Compared with Global X's BOTZ, which concentrates in a smaller group of robotics and AI leaders, ROBT is broader and more evenly spread. Its equal-weight design lowers single-stock risk but can trail when a few mega-caps drive the market.
Against a broad tech ETF like QQQ or XLK, ROBT is a focused thematic play rather than a diversified technology holding. It reaches deeper into mid-cap AI innovators, which can boost returns in theme-led rallies but adds volatility. The 0.65% fee is higher than a plain index fund.
Performance and outlook
ROBT's performance tracks the AI and robotics theme, so it has ridden the recent surge in artificial intelligence investment while also weathering the volatility that comes with high-growth technology stocks. Its equal-weight structure means it can lag cap-weighted funds when mega-caps lead, and outperform when breadth is strong.
The outlook depends on continued adoption of AI and automation across industries. As a diversified thematic fund, ROBT aims to capture the theme broadly rather than betting on individual winners, which can smooth returns but also caps the upside from any single breakout stock.
Is ROBT a good fit?
ROBT may fit investors who want diversified exposure to AI, robotics, and automation without concentrating in a handful of mega-cap tech stocks. It is generally used as a thematic satellite sleeve alongside a broad core portfolio rather than as a core holding itself.
Walnut is not an investment adviser, and this is not a recommendation. Whether ROBT suits you depends on your goals, risk tolerance, and existing technology exposure. Consider its 0.65% fee, growth-stock volatility, and equal-weight design before adding it.
How to buy ROBT
ROBT trades on the Nasdaq and can be purchased through any major broker, including Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, and Public. Brokers offering fractional shares let you invest a fixed dollar amount rather than buying whole shares.
If you use Walnut to build and track thematic baskets, you can connect your existing brokerage so ROBT sits alongside the rest of your portfolio in one view. Walnut keeps trade execution at your broker and provides tracking and analysis on top.
The bottom line on ROBT
ROBT offers diversified, roughly equal-weighted access to the AI and robotics theme, spreading risk across enablers, engagers, and enhancers rather than concentrating in a few giants. At 0.65% it costs more than a broad tech index, and its equal-weight design can lag when mega-caps lead. Most investors use it as a thematic satellite sleeve.
More on ROBT
Whether ROBT is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is ROBT a buy?
ROBT yields ~0.2% as of mid-2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see ROBT dividend: yield and schedule.
Build a portfolio around ROBT with Walnut
Use ROBT as your core holding, then let Walnut's AI propose thematic satellites: AI infrastructure, dividend growth, clean energy, whatever you believe in. Connect your broker, build the basket in conversation, track it as one unit.
FAQ
What is ROBT?
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ROBT is the First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ETF. It holds companies involved in AI, robotics, and automation, tracking the Nasdaq CTA AI and Robotics Index. The fund uses a modified equal-weight approach so mid-cap innovators contribute meaningfully alongside larger names, giving broad and diversified exposure to the theme.
Who issues ROBT and what does the ticker stand for?
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ROBT is issued by First Trust Advisors, a large ETF and fund manager. The ticker is a nod to robotics. The fund is designed around the Consumer Technology Association's classification of AI and robotics companies, tracked through the Nasdaq CTA index.
How is ROBT different from BOTZ?
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BOTZ, from Global X, is more concentrated in a smaller set of robotics and AI leaders, often with heavier weightings in a few names. ROBT uses modified equal weighting across a broader list of enablers, engagers, and enhancers, so it is more diversified and less dependent on any single mega-cap stock.
What is inside ROBT?
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ROBT holds well over 100 stocks spanning software, semiconductors, cybersecurity, healthcare AI, and industrial automation. Recent top positions include Tempus AI, Palo Alto Networks, Illumina, CCC Intelligent Solutions, Cloudflare, and SentinelOne. Because of equal weighting, no single stock dominates, and the top ten make up under half the fund.
What is the expense ratio of ROBT?
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ROBT charges an expense ratio of about 0.65% per year, or roughly $65 on a $10,000 investment. That is typical for a thematic ETF and higher than a broad market index fund. The fee reflects the specialized index methodology and global mix of holdings.
Does ROBT pay a dividend?
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ROBT pays only a small dividend, with a yield near 0.2%, because most of its holdings are growth-focused technology companies that reinvest earnings rather than pay large distributions. Investors typically hold ROBT for capital growth potential, not income.
How do I buy ROBT?
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ROBT trades like any stock and can be bought through Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, or Public. Brokers offering fractional shares let you invest a fixed dollar amount. If you track thematic baskets in Walnut, you can connect your existing broker so ROBT appears alongside your other holdings in one place.
How large is ROBT?
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ROBT holds roughly $750 million in assets as of mid-2026, making it a mid-sized thematic ETF. That is enough for reasonable daily liquidity and tight spreads. Its size reflects steady investor interest in diversified AI and robotics exposure.
Is ROBT a good investment?
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Whether ROBT fits you depends on your goals, risk tolerance, and view on AI and robotics; Walnut is not an investment adviser and this is not advice. ROBT offers diversified, equal-weighted exposure to the theme, which reduces single-stock risk but can lag when mega-caps lead. Weigh its 0.65% fee against alternatives like BOTZ or a broad tech fund.
When was ROBT created?
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ROBT launched in February 2018, giving it a multi-year track record across the recent AI boom. Its history spans the rise of generative AI and heavy investment in automation, so it has been tested through both enthusiasm and volatility in technology stocks.
What does modified equal weight mean for ROBT?
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Rather than weighting companies by size, ROBT assigns similar target weights across its holdings, grouped as enablers, engagers, and enhancers of AI and robotics. This prevents a handful of mega-caps from dominating and gives smaller, faster-growing innovators a real impact on returns, though it can trail cap-weighted funds in mega-cap-led rallies.
Does ROBT hold Nvidia and other mega-caps?
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ROBT can hold large AI names, but because of its equal-weight design, no mega-cap dominates the fund the way it might in a cap-weighted tech ETF. Positions like Nvidia, if included, sit at weights similar to smaller innovators, which is the point of the fund's diversified approach.
What are the main risks of ROBT?
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ROBT carries thematic concentration in AI, robotics, and automation, sectors that can be volatile and sentiment-driven. Many holdings are high-growth mid-caps sensitive to interest rates and earnings surprises. The fund also has international exposure and can underperform broad indexes during periods when mega-cap tech leads the market.
How do I compare ROBT to similar ETFs?
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Put a few fields side by side: the expense ratio (fees compound over decades), the index or strategy it tracks, the top holdings and how much they overlap with what you already own, the dividend yield, and the AUM, liquidity, and bid-ask spread that affect trading costs. For index funds, tracking error (how closely it follows its index) and tax efficiency matter too. ROBT's figures are above; the full method is in Walnut's guide on how to compare ETFs.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to mid-2026; verify current figures against First Trust Advisors's fund page or your broker before investing.