Shares of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW) staged a notable recovery on Friday, February 14, 2026, closing at $176.01, a gain of $8.17 or 4.9%. This rebound followed a severe selloff the previous day that saw the stock plummet nearly 15%, driven by investor anxiety over potential artificial intelligence disruption in the freight brokerage sector.
AI Announcement Sparks Sector-Wide Selloff
The volatility was triggered by claims from Algorhythm Holdings regarding its SemiCab AI platform. The company asserted the technology could increase customer freight volume by 300% to 400% without additional staffing, directly targeting the core efficiency metrics of the logistics industry. This announcement fueled a broader "AI fear" trade, significantly impacting transportation stocks. The Russell 3000 Trucking Index fell 6.6% on Thursday, with peers Landstar System and RXO experiencing declines of approximately 16% and over 20%, respectively.
Insider Purchases Signal Confidence
In a move interpreted as a vote of confidence, several C.H. Robinson executives purchased company shares on the open market following the steep decline. SEC filings detailed that CEO David P. Bozeman acquired 1,223 shares at $163.345 each on February 12. Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Arun Rajan bought 605 shares at $167.111, and Michael D. Castagnetto purchased 594 shares at a weighted average price of $168.24.
The company's annual 10-K report, filed Friday, presented a dual narrative. While highlighting its position as a leader in leveraging AI within supply chains after reporting $16.2 billion in total revenue for 2025, the document also explicitly warned of competitive risks from "accelerated adoption of automation and AI." It noted that rivals are using "AI-driven freight matching" to reduce costs, acknowledging the very technological forces that spooked the market.
Analyst Defense and Market Context
Barclays maintained its Overweight rating on CHRW, characterizing the selloff as "disproportionate." In a research note, the firm positioned C.H. Robinson as a potential "AI disrupter" rather than a company at high risk of being disrupted. Despite this defense, the episode underscores a market sensitive to headline-driven narratives about technological change, sometimes ahead of concrete impacts on fundamentals.
The incident highlights the specific vulnerability of C.H. Robinson's asset-light brokerage model, where margins can be perceived as susceptible to disintermediation by software. The company's annual filing further listed exposure to technology, cybersecurity, and the "usage of AI technologies" as ongoing risk factors.
Looking Ahead to Trading and Earnings
With U.S. markets closed Monday for Presidents Day, investor focus shifts to Tuesday's reopening to see if Friday's rebound holds. The broader transportation sector will be watched for any continuation of the AI-driven volatility. The next significant catalyst for C.H. Robinson is its upcoming earnings report, scheduled for around April 29. Investors will scrutinize that release for data on sustained productivity and management's commentary on whether the AI competitive threat is affecting the company's pricing power or remains a more distant concern.
The volatility in CHRW and related names like RXO serves as a recent case study in how disruptive technology themes can rapidly reprice equities, even as analysts and company insiders may advocate for a more measured, long-term perspective.