A Most Curious Pruning of the Machine

It hath come to my attention – a matter of some amusement, I confess – that Obsidian CIO, a firm presumably dedicated to the accumulation of wealth, hath seen fit to dramatically reduce its holdings in the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ). A most theatrical gesture, indeed! They’ve lopped off some $15.32 million worth of shares, as reported in a filing of February the seventeenth, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-six. One might almost suspect a sudden aversion to automatons, or a premonition of a mechanical uprising!

The Act Unfolds

The particulars are thus: Obsidian CIO, in a fit of what I can only describe as prudent, or perhaps merely fickle, discernment, disposed of 422,567 shares of BOTZ during the last quarter. This reduction, while presented as a mere adjustment of portfolio weight, represents a rather significant shift in their affections. The value of their remaining position, alas, diminished by $14.95 million, a consequence of both the sale and the vagaries of the market. A most lamentable state of affairs, one might say, were one inclined to sympathy.

A Stage Full of Players

Let us examine the company they keep. After this rather conspicuous pruning, BOTZ constitutes but 1.2% of Obsidian CIO’s total assets under management – a paltry sum compared to the nearly 24% it commanded in the previous act. Their affections now lie with more… pedestrian investments, such as IWB, VV, and IVV, along with the short-duration exposure of JPST. One wonders if they anticipate a downturn in the realm of gears and algorithms, or if they simply prefer the comforting predictability of the broader market.

As of February the eighteenth, BOTZ itself was trading at $38.36, having enjoyed a respectable 12% gain over the past year. A performance, I daresay, that does little to explain this sudden change of heart.

The Machinery of Investment

Metric	Value
Net Assets	$3.4 billion
Price (as of market close 2/18/26)	$38.36
Yield	0.62%
1-year price change	12.00%

A Brief Description of the Device

The Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ) is a specialized instrument, designed to capture the promise – and, perhaps, the peril – of automation. It holds some $3.4 billion in assets, invested in companies engaged in the development and deployment of robots and artificial intelligence. Its strategy is simple, transparent, and, one might add, rather reliant on the continued enthusiasm of investors.

The Moral of the Tale

Observe, if you will, the folly of excess. Obsidian CIO’s reduction of its BOTZ holdings is not necessarily a judgment upon the theme of robotics and artificial intelligence, but rather a commentary upon the dangers of overconcentration. To allocate nearly a quarter of one’s assets to a single, albeit promising, sector is a gamble, and a rather reckless one at that.

The AI narrative remains compelling, but even the most astute investors must exercise discipline. Thematic ETFs can be lucrative when the winds are favorable, but a timely trimming of one’s sails can protect capital when the tide turns. A lesson, I suspect, that many a speculator would do well to heed. This, my friends, is the theater of finance, where fortunes are won and lost, and where the only certainty is change.

2026-02-27 01:34