Robotics, e-commerce seen as `uber-growth' areas

Robotics and online selling are places to find “uber-growth” stocks now, according to Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit. He mentioned the Indxx Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Thematics Index, poised for the biggest annual gain since its 2010 debut, and the Dow Jones Internet Commerce Index, headed for a record sixth straight annual advance, in a report last week. Hartnett recommended a fourth-quarter barbell trade with the two industry groups on one side and “uber-value” banks, represented by the KBW Bank Index, on the other.