NIO Inc reports record vehicle deliveries despite stock decline
NIO Inc's stock fell by 5.02% today, hitting a 5-day low, amid a generally positive market with the Nasdaq-100 up 0.94% and the S&P 500 up 0.61%.
This decline occurs despite NIO's impressive announcement of delivering 326,028 vehicles in 2025, marking a 46.9% year-over-year increase. The company achieved record deliveries of 48,135 vehicles in December 2025, reflecting strong market demand and solidifying its leadership in the smart electric vehicle market. The stock's movement suggests sector rotation as investors reassess their positions in the electric vehicle sector.
The strong delivery numbers indicate NIO's sustained growth potential and market recognition, yet the stock's decline highlights the volatility often seen in the market, particularly in the face of broader economic conditions.
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- Significant Delivery Growth: Nio's deliveries approached 125,000 vehicles in Q4 2025, marking a 71.7% year-over-year increase, with December deliveries reaching 48,135 units, up 54.6% from the previous year, indicating strong sales momentum driven by its new brands Onvo and Firefly, enhancing market competitiveness.
- Rising Gross Margins: Nio's gross profit margins have steadily improved over the past few years, and despite its new brands being priced lower than the flagship brand, the company anticipates achieving an adjusted operating profit of between $100 million and $172 million in Q4 2025, signaling a positive shift in financial health.
- Battery Swap Network Challenges: While Nio's battery swapping network could potentially become a competitive advantage, its significant upfront investment and ongoing operational costs currently weigh on financials, especially as alternative fast-charging options gain traction in the market, posing profitability challenges.
- Investor Confidence Boost: Nio's announcement of its first adjusted operating profit has bolstered investor optimism about its future, particularly as the company aims for breakeven in 2026, despite the competitive pressures it faces from rivals in the electric vehicle sector.
- Surge in Swap Demand: Driven by the Spring Festival holiday, Nio set a new single-day record of 146,649 battery swaps on February 15, indicating a significant rise in the usage of its battery swap ecosystem and reflecting growing consumer reliance on EV charging solutions.
- Cumulative Swap Milestone: Earlier this month, Nio announced that its cumulative battery swap count surpassed 100 million, marking widespread acceptance of its battery swap service model and further solidifying its leadership position in the Chinese EV market.
- Service Network Expansion: Nio currently operates 3,750 swap stations nationwide, with over 1,000 located along expressways, ensuring convenient battery swap services for users during the peak travel period of the Spring Festival, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
- Recall Pressure: Despite initiating a recall of over 246,000 vehicles earlier this month due to a software safety issue that may affect display screens, strong battery swap usage metrics suggest that consumers continue to heavily rely on Nio's battery swap ecosystem during peak travel periods, demonstrating the brand's resilience.
- Nio Stake Reduction: Morgan Stanley cut its Nio stake by approximately 6% in Q4, ending with about 15.3 million shares valued near $75 million, reflecting a cautious approach amid market volatility following new SUV launches.
- Tesla Continued Trim: The firm reduced its Tesla holdings for the third consecutive quarter, finishing with roughly 35.8 million shares, the lowest since 2023, despite maintaining a value exceeding $14 billion, indicating a cautious outlook on future growth.
- Rivian Stake Increase: Morgan Stanley boosted its Rivian stake by nearly 47% in Q4, raising holdings to about 12.2 million shares, signaling renewed confidence ahead of the R2 mid-size SUV launch and a strategic shift in investment focus.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Retail sentiment on social media showed Nio as ‘bearish’, Tesla as ‘bullish’, while Rivian garnered ‘extremely bullish’ sentiment, indicating investor optimism about its future performance amidst changing market dynamics.
- Nio's Sales Surge: Nio's deliveries reached 221,970 vehicles in 2024, a 39% increase, with expectations to rise 58% to 351,221 vehicles in 2025, indicating strong growth potential in the EV market, particularly driven by its premium ET-series sedans and Onvo SUVs.
- Market Expansion Strategy: Nio is actively expanding into the European market to reduce reliance on the saturated Chinese EV market, a strategy that not only enhances its international market share but also may alleviate macro pressures from ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions.
- AST Satellite Network Development: AST SpaceMobile plans to deploy 45-60 LEO satellites by the end of 2026, with revenue projected to surge from $4 million to $699 million by 2027, showcasing significant growth potential in the satellite communications market.
- Government Contract Opportunities: AST's selection as a prime contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD program not only diversifies its business model but also may provide stable government contract revenue, further enhancing its profitability prospects.
- Nio's Growth Potential: Nio is projected to deliver 221,970 vehicles in 2024, a 39% increase from 2023, and expects a further 58% growth to 351,221 vehicles in 2025, showcasing strong growth potential in the EV market despite macro pressures in China.
- Profit Expectations: Nio anticipates achieving its first profit in Q4 2025, a pivotal moment that could attract more investor attention and elevate its stock price, especially given its current valuation of less than 1 times this year's sales.
- AST SpaceMobile's Market Expansion: AST plans to deploy 45-60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 and aims to expand to 243 satellites in the coming years, with revenue expected to surge from $4 million in 2024 to $699 million by 2027, indicating significant potential in the low-earth orbit satellite market.
- Government Contract Opportunities: AST's selection as a prime contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD program suggests diversification beyond telecom contracts, enhancing its competitive position in the market.
- Sales Growth: Global EV sales surged 21% in 2025, with a notable 33% increase in Europe, indicating strong demand that could enhance market share for related companies.
- China's Market Dominance: EV sales in China grew by 19%, with Tesla holding a 4.4% market share, surpassing Nio, which highlights increasing competitive pressure on Nio in a rapidly consolidating market.
- Challenges for Nio: Nio reported a 15% year-over-year increase in vehicle sales in the latest quarter, yet its net losses reached $488.9 million, indicating a precarious position amid market consolidation and a lack of profitability.
- Rivian's Market Opportunity: Rivian ranks sixth in the U.S. market, achieving an 8% revenue growth in 2025, and while still unprofitable, it is approaching profitability faster than Nio, suggesting a stronger competitive position.









