Is 2026 Serve Robotics' Year? Retail Gets More Bullish As Physical AI Play Regains Momentum

• While last year was a difficult one for the company, a late-December boost has helped reset sentiment. 
• Brokerage Northland analyst Michael Latimore in January named Serve Robotics as a top pick for 2026, calling it "one of the best investments in physical AI" 
• All of last year, the company has been expanding across key U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Alexandria.

Serve Robotics has kicked off 2026 on a strong note, with shares climbing more than 26% in the first three trading days of the year, nearly erasing all of its losses from 2025.

While last year was a difficult one for the company, a late-December boost has helped reset sentiment. Serve’s stock had fallen 23% in 2025, weighed down by slower revenue growth and renewed concerns over a potential AI bubble that surfaced in late October.

Serve Robotics develops AI-powered, low-emissions sidewalk delivery robots and was spun off from Uber in 2021 as an independent company. To date, it has completed more than 100,000 deliveries for enterprise partners, including Uber Eats and 7-Eleven. The company also crossed a significant milestone last year, deploying more than 2,000 delivery robots across the U.S.

Wall Street’s View

Earlier this month, Northland analyst Michael Latimore named Serve Robotics a top pick for 2026, calling it “one of the best investments in physical AI” and pointing to “myriad 2026 catalysts.”

Northland said Serve has “solved one of the most difficult problems in technology”—the virtual driver—and sees upside of roughly 150%. The firm reiterated its Outperform rating and maintained a $26 price target on the shares.

According to Koyfin, Wall Street is overall bullish on Serve Robotics, with seven analysts rating the stock a buy. The average price target is $18.86, with a high of $26.

Serve’s Expansion

Serve spent much of last year expanding into key U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, and Alexandria. The company plans to enter additional cities in early 2026 as it deepens partnerships with national and local restaurant brands, retailers, and delivery platforms, including DoorDash.

In October, Serve Robotics and DoorDash announced a multi-year partnership to roll out autonomous robot deliveries across the U.S. The launch began in Los Angeles, where customers ordering through the DoorDash app from participating merchants may have their food delivered by a Serve robot. The partnership is expected to expand the pool of orders available to Serve significantly.

What Is Retail Thinking?

Retail sentiment on Serve Robotics has shifted from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish' in just a day, with message volumes at 'high' levels, according to Stocktwits data.

Over the past year, the number of users adding SERV to their Stocktwits watchlists has jumped 62%, while retail message volume rose 20% in the last 24 hours alone. One Stocktwits user noted that Serve, along with a few other names, could see strong momentum midweek.

“$SERV I want us to break 14 this time and not look back!” one bullish user wrote, pointing to a level the stock briefly touched during intraday highs about a month ago but has yet to break through decisively.

However, Serve Robotics shares are still down about 22% over the past 12 months.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Also See: This Aerospace Stock Is A New Retail Favourite — Jim Cramer Calls It 'Incredibly Well Run'

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