Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Shares Down 2.5% – Should You Sell?
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyRivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN – Get Free Report)’s stock price was down 2.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $16.26 and last traded at $16.52. Approximately 22,411,561 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 29,279,777 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.95.
Key Stories Impacting Rivian Automotive
Here are the key news stories impacting Rivian Automotive this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Rivian has started R2 production at its Normal, Illinois, plant — a major volume and margin catalyst as the lower-cost model enters the market and helps the company scale. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Rivian and Redwood Materials launched a second‑life battery energy storage system at the Normal plant, which can lower energy costs, improve plant resilience and showcase circular supply‑chain benefits that appeal to sustainability‑minded investors. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Bullish theses and delivery momentum (Q1 deliveries above some expectations) are being circulated by independent analysts and newsletters, reinforcing a narrative that R2 and software growth could drive future upside. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Rivian is a trending stock on investor sites — higher retail attention can increase volatility but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Rivian was highlighted in an Earth Day clean‑economy roundup (PRISM), which is positive for branding and institutional ESG interest but has limited immediate financial impact. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed: consensus is a “Hold” from ~26 firms (roughly balanced buy/hold/sell split), so street guidance is unlikely to swing sentiment dramatically until clearer results arrive. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews expect Q1 profit metrics to decline and flag that Rivian lacks the setup for a likely beat this quarter — disappointing results would pressure the stock. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: The R2 launched with an MSRP (~$57,990) well above Rivian’s long‑promised $45k target, which could limit addressable demand and push the affordability case further into the future. Investors may view the higher price as a hit to the “volume and margin via affordable model” thesis. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: High-profile media mentions (e.g., Jim Cramer) keep Rivian in the headlines but offer mixed directional signal—useful for flow/volatility, not fundamentals. Read More.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several analysts recently weighed in on RIVN shares. Bank of America started coverage on Rivian Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Rivian Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $16.00 to $23.00 in a report on Friday, February 13th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wall Street Zen raised Rivian Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Monday, April 6th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $18.05.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Rivian Automotive
Rivian Automotive Price Performance
The stock has a market capitalization of $20.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.38 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a current ratio of 2.33. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.06.
Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.54) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.68) by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.27 billion. Rivian Automotive had a negative return on equity of 65.05% and a negative net margin of 67.68%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 25.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.70) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Rivian Automotive, Inc. will post -3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Rivian Automotive
In other news, CFO Claire Mcdonough sold 27,133 shares of Rivian Automotive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.80, for a total value of $455,834.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 680,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,438,044.80. This trade represents a 3.83% decrease in their position. 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.80, for a total value of $586,320.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,044,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,551,480.80. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 138,643 shares of company stock worth $2,226,866. Corporate insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Rivian Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $220,323,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 32.4% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 16,397,496 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $323,195,000 after purchasing an additional 4,012,386 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 81,673,512 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $1,198,967,000 after purchasing an additional 2,597,310 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 20,769,844 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $409,374,000 after purchasing an additional 2,418,717 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 496.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,305,236 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $31,490,000 after purchasing an additional 1,918,852 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.25% of the company’s stock.
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.