New York, Feb 13, 2026, 17:53 EST — After-hours
- CH Robinson shares up 4.9% after the bell after a sharp AI-driven rout a day earlier
- A tiny AI freight platform launch set off a sector-wide selloff in brokers and logistics names
- CEO David Bozeman and CFO Damon Lee disclosed open-market stock purchases in SEC filings
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. shares rose 4.9% to $176.01 in after-hours trading on Friday, recovering some ground after a violent selloff that swept freight and logistics stocks.
The move matters because the trigger was not a missed quarter or a big contract loss. It was fear — that new artificial intelligence tools could automate freight planning and “disintermediate” brokers that do not own trucks, a business model Wall Street has long treated as resilient.
On Thursday, investors dumped trucking and logistics names after Algorhythm Holdings — a former in-car karaoke business turned freight AI player — touted its SemiCab platform and claimed it could help customers scale freight volumes by 300% to 400% without adding headcount. C.H. Robinson fell 15% by the close after being down as much as 24%, while Landstar dropped 16% and RXO slid about 20%, the Guardian reported. “The level of paranoia is Category 5,” Rainwater Equity portfolio manager Joseph Shaposhnik said. (The Guardian)
The speed of the slide surprised even some bulls. Barclays analyst Brandon Oglenski called the move “disproportionate to the risk” and said he would be a buyer of the sector on weakness, while Nationwide’s Mark Hackett said reactions to AI headlines can be “emotional and exaggerated.” (Supply Chain Brain)
C.H. Robinson pushed back directly. In a statement dated Feb. 12, it said it has been “a leader in AI for more than a decade” and that its “Lean AI” approach has “increased our productivity more than 40%” while automating “millions of shipping tasks.” The company also said: “Rather than being disrupted, our 120-year-old company is the disrupter – and we’re just getting started.” (C.H. Robinson)
Barclays reiterated its Overweight rating on Thursday, calling the selloff “disproportionate” and framing C.H. Robinson as “the AI disrupter” in its markets, according to a research note cited by Investing.com. (Investing)
There were also fresh signs of insider confidence. Chief Executive David P. Bozeman bought 1,223 shares at $163.345 on Feb. 12, while Chief Financial Officer Damon J. Lee bought 620 shares at $162.5221 the same day, SEC filings showed. (SEC)
In its annual report filed on Friday, the company said it expects 2026 capital expenditures of about $75 million to $85 million, with spending largely tied to software investments meant to deliver scalable solutions “including those driven by AI.” The filing also reiterated that the board approved an additional $2.0 billion authorization under the share repurchase program and warned that if the company fails to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI, it could face a competitive disadvantage, while market demand and acceptance of AI remain uncertain. (SEC)
Still, the “AI scare trade” is a blunt instrument. For brokers, the downside case is simple: if new tools really compress the edge that comes from scale, data and pricing speed, they could pressure margins just as freight demand stays choppy and customers push harder on rates.
For now, traders are watching whether Friday’s bounce holds once liquidity returns. U.S. markets are closed on Monday, Feb. 16, for Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day, putting the next test on Tuesday’s reopen. (Nyse)
