Contrasting Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI) & Kaixin (NASDAQ:KXIN)

Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI) and Kaixin (NASDAQ:KXIN) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Li Auto and Kaixin, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Li Auto	4	12	1	1	1.94
Kaixin	1	0	0	0	1.00

Li Auto currently has a consensus price target of $19.59, suggesting a potential upside of 14.17%. Given Li Auto’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Li Auto is more favorable than Kaixin.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Li Auto and Kaixin”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Li Auto	$19.79 billion	N/A	$1.10 billion	$0.58	29.59
Kaixin	$31.53 million	0.00	-$40.97 million	N/A	N/A

Li Auto has higher revenue and earnings than Kaixin.

Volatility & Risk

Li Auto has a beta of 0.6, indicating that its share price is 40% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kaixin has a beta of 1.18, indicating that its share price is 18% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

9.9% of Li Auto shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 2.0% of Kaixin shares are held by institutional investors. 48.5% of Li Auto shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 20.8% of Kaixin shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Li Auto and Kaixin’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Li Auto	3.60%	6.31%	2.87%
Kaixin	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

Li Auto beats Kaixin on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Li Auto

Li Auto Inc. operates in the energy vehicle market in the People's Republic of China. It designs, develops, manufactures, and sells premium smart electric vehicles. The company's product line comprises MPVs and sport utility vehicles. It offers sales and after sales management, and technology development and corporate management services, as well as purchases manufacturing equipment. The company offers its products through online and offline channels. The company was formerly known as Leading Ideal Inc. and changed its name to Li Auto Inc. in July 2020. Li Auto Inc. was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

About Kaixin

Kaixin Auto Holdings primarily engages in the sale of domestic and imported automobiles in the People's Republic of China. It focuses on automobiles brands, such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Porsche. The company is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.