Piper Sandler Cuts Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Price Target to $18.00

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) had its target price trimmed by Piper Sandler from $20.00 to $18.00 in a report issued on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the electric vehicle automaker’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on RIVN. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Rivian Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of Rivian Automotive from $14.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Rivian Automotive from $12.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $12.00 price target on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.62.

Rivian Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of RIVN stock opened at $17.73 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $21.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.78 and a beta of 1.76. Rivian Automotive has a 52-week low of $10.36 and a 52-week high of $22.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The company’s 50 day moving average is $17.66 and its 200 day moving average is $15.34.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.66) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.68) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. Rivian Automotive had a negative return on equity of 65.05% and a negative net margin of 67.68%.Rivian Automotive’s revenue was down 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.70) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rivian Automotive will post -3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Rivian Automotive

In related news, CEO Robert J. Scaringe sold 17,450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.03, for a total value of $279,723.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,115,209 shares in the company, valued at $17,876,800.27. This trade represents a 1.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Claire Mcdonough sold 8,039 shares of Rivian Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $144,702.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 730,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,140,306. This represents a 1.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 120,154 shares of company stock worth $2,143,724. Company insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rivian Automotive

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RIVN. FORA Capital LLC increased its holdings in Rivian Automotive by 188.9% in the fourth quarter. FORA Capital LLC now owns 241,897 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $4,768,000 after buying an additional 158,172 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 9.9% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 76,523 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $1,508,000 after acquiring an additional 6,924 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 78.1% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 497,258 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $9,801,000 after purchasing an additional 218,020 shares in the last quarter. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC acquired a new position in Rivian Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $197,000. Finally, Barrier Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Rivian Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $2,566,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.25% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

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.