UBS Group Upgrades Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) to “Buy”

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) was upgraded by research analysts at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday, Briefing.com reports. The firm presently has a $17.00 target price on the electric vehicle automaker’s stock. UBS Group‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 39.80% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Rivian Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Rivian Automotive from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Rivian Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $18.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 price target on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.50.

Rivian Automotive Stock Performance

NASDAQ:RIVN opened at $12.16 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 2.18 and a quick ratio of 1.70. Rivian Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $11.38 and a fifty-two week high of $22.69. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.50. The stock has a market cap of $17.61 billion, a PE ratio of -5.40 and a beta of 1.64.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.64) by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. Rivian Automotive had a negative net margin of 45.88% and a negative return on equity of 69.68%. The firm’s revenue was up 38.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.08) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Rivian Automotive will post -2.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Rivian Automotive

In other news, CFO Claire McDonough sold 8,023 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.00, for a total transaction of $128,368.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 819,178 shares in the company, valued at $13,106,848. This represents a 0.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael John Callahan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,001,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,026,640. This trade represents a 1.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 51,167 shares of company stock valued at $788,306 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rivian Automotive

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of RIVN. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Rivian Automotive by 0.3% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,438,776 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $111,896,000 after buying an additional 25,382 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Rivian Automotive in the second quarter worth about $49,915,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 55.8% in the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,097,836 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $46,625,000 after buying an additional 1,109,171 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 2,331,000 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $35,082,000 after acquiring an additional 176,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 22.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,970,637 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $29,441,000 after acquiring an additional 356,540 shares in the last quarter. 66.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rivian Automotive News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Rivian Automotive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rivian reported third-quarter revenue of $2.16 billion, up 38.3% year over year, and adjusted loss per share of $0.48, better than the $0.64 consensus estimate. The company also raised its full-year delivery outlook to 67,000–70,000 vehicles. RIVN Q3 deep dive: R2 launch drives volume, autonomy investment shapes outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted strong demand and momentum for the R2, which became Rivian’s highest-volume model, while discussing progress toward improved margins. These developments support the case for increased production scale. Rivian Q3 Earnings: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies upgraded Rivian, while Evercore ISI and Stifel Nicolaus maintained Buy ratings. The actions indicate that several analysts view the R2 launch, delivery growth and operating improvements as potential catalysts. Rivian Automotive Upgraded at Jefferies Financial Group
• Positive Sentiment: Rivian expanded its Volkswagen joint venture to license its in-house AI voice assistant, creating a potential software-monetization opportunity beyond vehicle sales. CEO RJ Scaringe also described autonomy as a possible major shift in automotive market share. Rivian Expands Joint Venture With AI Voice Assistant Licensing
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald and Needham reduced their price targets, although the reports suggest analysts are reassessing valuation rather than uniformly abandoning the stock. Rivian Stock Gets Price Target Trim from Cantor Fitzgerald Rivian Stock Gets Price Target Cut from Needham
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, Rivian continues to post substantial losses, with a negative net margin and analysts expecting a full-year loss. Commentary questioning whether the EV maker can achieve sustainable profitability has limited the durability of the rally. Rivian Earnings Don’t Mask Stock Collapse

Rivian Automotive Company Profile

Rivian Automotive, Inc is an electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops and produces all-electric trucks, sport utility vehicles and commercial delivery vans. The company focuses on vehicles intended for outdoor recreation, everyday transportation and fleet use, combining battery-electric powertrains with software and connected-vehicle technologies.

Rivian’s consumer vehicle lineup includes the R1T pickup truck and R1S sport utility vehicle. The company also develops electric commercial vans for business and delivery fleets, including vehicles produced through its relationship with Amazon.