Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Trading Down 7.1% on Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) were down 7.1% during trading on Tuesday after DA Davidson downgraded the stock from a neutral rating to an underperform rating. DA Davidson now has a $14.00 price target on the stock, down from their previous price target of $15.00. Rivian Automotive traded as low as $16.38 and last traded at $16.47. Approximately 55,770,890 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 68% from the average daily volume of 33,274,379 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.73.

RIVN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wolfe Research downgraded Rivian Automotive from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Rivian Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Sunday. Zacks Research raised shares of Rivian Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Rivian Automotive from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and seven have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.71.

Insider Transactions at Rivian Automotive

In related news, CFO Claire Mcdonough sold 27,133 shares of Rivian Automotive stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.80, for a total value of $455,834.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 680,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,438,044.80. The trade was a 3.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert J. Scaringe sold 34,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.80, for a total transaction of $586,320.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,044,731 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,551,480.80. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 182,187 shares of company stock valued at $3,185,878. 2.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Rivian Automotive

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and 2026 guidance point to an inflection — Rivian reported its first full year of positive gross profit, beat Q4 revenue/eps expectations, and gave 2026 vehicle delivery guidance implying ~50%+ YoY growth; markets initially rewarded the print. Rivian Automotive (RIVN) Is Up 11.6% After First Full Year of Positive Gross Profit
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Stifel raised its price target to $20 (buy) and other firms including Deutsche Bank have increased targets/ratings, supporting upside narrative if R2 demand materializes. Stifel target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term thesis highlighted by some analysts: commentary notes narrowing losses, stronger Software & Services mix, and a mass-market R2 that could drive multi-year delivery growth; these are contingent on execution. Rivian mass-market model analysis
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson downgrade/analyst caution: DA Davidson moved to underperform ($14 PT), citing worry that Rivian’s guidance assumes an unusually strong R2 debut — this raises short-term downside if the R2 ramp disappoints. DA Davidson downgrades Rivian Automotive (RIVN)
• Negative Sentiment: R2 execution risk is front-and-center — multiple notes and headlines say elevated uncertainty around R2 demand and manufacturing ramp could reverse recent gains if deliveries miss. R2 launch risks weigh on stock
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by top executives: CEO Robert Scaringe sold 34,900 shares and CFO Claire Mcdonough sold 27,133 shares at ~$16.80 each on Feb 18; both reduced ownership by ~3–4% though they retain large stakes — raises governance/near-term sentiment concerns. CEO Form 4 CFO Form 4

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rivian Automotive

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Rivian Automotive by 15.8% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,849,818 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $80,376,000 after buying an additional 799,030 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Rivian Automotive in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,324,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 227.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 117,096 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $1,719,000 after acquiring an additional 81,291 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 244.1% during the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,624,707 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $23,851,000 after acquiring an additional 1,152,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tableaux LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rivian Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,435,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.25% of the company’s stock.

Rivian Automotive Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $19.80 billion, a PE ratio of -5.26 and a beta of 1.76. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $17.61 and its 200 day moving average is $15.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a current ratio of 2.33.

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

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.