Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Trading Up 26.6% After Strong Earnings

Shares of Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) were up 26.6% on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $18.48 and last traded at $17.73. Approximately 127,282,190 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 292% from the average daily volume of 32,503,723 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.00.

The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.66) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.68) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. Rivian Automotive had a negative net margin of 67.68% and a negative return on equity of 61.67%. Rivian Automotive’s quarterly revenue was down 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.70) EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting Rivian Automotive

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rivian delivered a Q4 surprise: revenue and adjusted loss beat consensus and management issued a strong 2026 delivery outlook, triggering the rally. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management now expects a large jump in 2026 deliveries (guidance ~62k–67k units / ~53% growth year‑over‑year), driven by rollout of the more affordable R2 SUV — investors view this as a clear growth path. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker activity has turned constructive: notable upgrades/target increases (Deutsche Bank upgrade to Buy with $23 PT; Wedbush reiteration at $25) helped fuel buying interest. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarter details: adjusted loss per share (~$0.54–$0.66 depending on source) beat estimates and revenue was roughly $1.28–1.29B; software/services showed meaningful YoY growth and management highlighted product & software initiatives. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: R2 progress: early reviews and management commentary point to R2 deliveries beginning in Q2 and strong demand potential, but it’s still early in the ramp. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying profitability and revenue mix remain weak: automotive revenue fell sharply (reported ~45% decline in Q4 auto revenue), the company still posts negative net margins and negative ROE. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Cash burn and capex: Rivian flagged continued losses as it ramps production and may spend >$2.1B on capex for expansion; a recent settlement also pressures near‑term cash. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Operational risks remain: some metrics (vehicle margins, free cash flow) showed weakness even with the beat — the company still expects losses as it scales, leaving execution risk on the table. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rivian Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Sunday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Rivian Automotive from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised Rivian Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $14.00 to $25.00 in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.62.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rivian Automotive news, Director Peter Krawiec sold 3,655 shares of Rivian Automotive stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.45, for a total transaction of $71,089.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 29,122 shares in the company, valued at approximately $566,422.90. The trade was a 11.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Robert J. Scaringe sold 17,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.03, for a total transaction of $279,723.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,115,209 shares in the company, valued at $17,876,800.27. This represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 120,154 shares of company stock worth $2,143,724 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in Rivian Automotive by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 43,282 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $853,000 after buying an additional 686 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 23,127 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 36.5% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,764 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 739 shares in the last quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,056 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $277,000 after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 5.2% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 15,803 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $232,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the last quarter. 66.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rivian Automotive Trading Up 26.6%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.66 and a 200 day moving average of $15.32. The stock has a market cap of $21.74 billion, a PE ratio of -5.78 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.71.

Rivian Automotive Company Profile

Rivian Automotive, Inc is an American automotive technology company specializing in the design, development and manufacture of electric vehicles. The company is best known for its all-electric R1 platform, which underpins the R1T pickup truck and R1S sport utility vehicle. In addition to consumer products, Rivian has secured a significant commercial contract to produce electric delivery vans for a leading e-commerce provider, underscoring its capability to serve both retail and fleet customers.

Founded in 2009 by engineer and entrepreneur Robert “RJ” Scaringe, Rivian has grown from a research-focused startup into a publicly traded corporation.