Why is NIO stock rising?

NIO stock is up 440% in the past year. Royston Roche analyses the company and its financials after its recent strong delivery report.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

NIO Inc stock

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

NIO (NYSE: NIO) stock is up 440% in the past year. It has even outperformed Tesla, whose share price rose 180% during the same period. Last week alone, the NIO share price rose 10%. 

Here, I would like to analyse the company’s financials and understand why the share price is rising.

NIO’s fundamentals

NIO recently released its monthly delivery update. It delivered 8,083 vehicles in June 2021, up 116% from June 2020. The deliveries recovered from a temporary slowdown in May caused by a shortage of chips that impacted the entire automobile industry. For the second quarter of 2021, NIO delivered 21,896 vehicles, representing growth of 112% over 2020. It matched the company’s guidance of 21,000–22,000 vehicles in this quarter.

The company’s revenues in the first quarter rose about 482% to $1.2bn. This was primarily due to the higher deliveries achieved from more product mix and expansion of the sales network. The addition in the product mix was EC6, Smart Electric Coupe SUV. The Covid-19 pandemic intensified at the beginning of 2020, which also reduced sales last year. 

NIO’s vehicle margin was 21.2% compared to -7.4% in the same period last year. It was driven by the increase in vehicle delivery volume, higher average selling price, and lower material cost. This helped the overall gross margin to reach 19.5% compared to -12.2% in the first quarter of 2020. The company’s cash flows are improving. It continued to achieve positive cash flow in the first quarter of 2021. 

Why is NIO stock rising?

I believe the strong growth in the financial results in the past year is one of the reasons for NIO stock’s strong rally. Also, electric vehicle stocks are in favour and NIO has benefitted from this trend. Last week, a Citigroup analyst upgraded the stock from neutral to buy. They have a price target of $72, which suggests an upside of around 50% from the current price. However, actual performance might differ from analysts’ estimates.

NIO’s battery swapping technology is also a major differentiator in the electric car market. It can offer a battery-as-a-solution (BAAS) solution, which reduces the upfront cost of purchasing NIO vehicles. Another advantage of this technology is quickly swapping the depleted batteries in specially-equipped service stations. 

Risks

The company is yet to be profitable. There is stiff competition in the electric car market. Also, a huge investment is required to build factories. If the losses continue for a prolonged period, it might hurt the NIO share price.

NIO stock has performed very well in the past year. However, if the growth rate does not meet the market expectation, then there could be profit-booking.

Taking all things into consideration, I think electric vehicle stocks will be in high demand. Earlier this year, I purchased shares in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust for its exposure to electric cars and technology stocks. Though the fund has slashed its holdings in Tesla, it continues to hold 4.0% in Tesla and 3.2% in NIO. I will continue to hold my shares. 

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Royston Roche owns shares of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of and has recommended NIO Inc. and Tesla. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Mature Caucasian woman sat at a table with coffee and laptop while making notes on paper
Investing Articles

10% dividend growth! 2 FTSE 100 stocks tipped to supercharge cash payouts

These FTSE 100 stocks have strong records of dividend growth. And they're expected to keep on delivering, as Royston Wild…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Down 17% in a month and yielding 7.39%! Is this FTSE 100 share a screaming buy for me?

When Harvey Jones bought Taylor Wimpey last year he thought this FTSE 100 share was a brilliant long-term buy-and-hold. Has…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Here’s how I’m using a £20k ISA to target £11k+ in income 30 years from now

Is it realistic to put £20k in an ISA now and earn over half that amount every year in passive…

Read more »

Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

If I could only keep 5 UK stocks from my portfolio I’d save these

Harvey Jones is running through his portfolio of top UK stocks to see which ones he couldn't bear to do…

Read more »

Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

I’m aiming for a million buying unexciting shares!

By investing regularly in long-established, proven and even rather dull businesses, this writer plans to aim for a million. Here's…

Read more »

Investing Articles

3 things to consider before you start investing

Our writer draws on his stock market experience to consider a few vital lessons he would use to start investing…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Will this lesser-known £28bn growth stock be joining the FTSE 100 soon?

As the powers that be plan a reorganisation of Footsie listing rules, this massive under-the-radar growth stock could find its…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Fools wouldn’t touch these 5 FTSE 350 flops with a bargepole – how come I own 3 of them?

Harvey Jones took a chance on three struggling FTSE 350 stocks in the hope that they'd stage a dramatic recovery.…

Read more »