HSBC Upgrades Nio to Buy, Target $6.80
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 16 2026
0mins
Should l Buy NIO?
Source: stocktwits
- First Profitable Quarter: Nio reported its first profitable quarter with revenue of 34.65 billion yuan ($4.95 billion), exceeding estimates of 33.25 billion yuan, and an adjusted EPS of 0.29 yuan, indicating a significant improvement in profitability that may attract more investor interest.
- Wall Street Optimism: HSBC upgraded Nio from Hold to Buy with a target price of $6.80, implying a 16% upside, reflecting strong conviction in Nio's 2026 volume growth and earnings improvement trajectory, which could further drive the stock price upward.
- Retail Trader Sentiment Shift: Following the earnings report, retail trader sentiment turned ‘extremely bullish’, with 62% of users expecting the stock to break above $6, indicating increased confidence in Nio's future performance that may trigger more buying activity.
- Delivery Volume Growth: Nio achieved vehicle deliveries of 124,807 units in Q4 2022, a 72% year-over-year increase, with total deliveries for the year rising 47% to 326,028 units, and expects Q1 2023 deliveries of 80,000 to 83,000 units, showcasing strong market demand and growth potential.
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Analyst Views on NIO
Wall Street analysts forecast NIO stock price to rise
7 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 5.560
Low
4.00
Averages
5.90
High
7.00
Current: 5.560
Low
4.00
Averages
5.90
High
7.00
About NIO
NIO Inc is a holding company mainly engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and sales of smart electric vehicles. The Company offers premium smart electric vehicles under the NIO brand, family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand, and small smart high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand. The Company focuses on building in-house capabilities including battery swapping, assisted and intelligent driving, digital technologies, electric powertrain and battery, vehicle engineering and design, among others, to control the design and development of the vehicle software and hardware architecture and the critical components.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Cost Efficiency Improvement: CEO William Li stated that the in-house chips are delivering cost efficiencies, with the Yangjian chip reducing per-vehicle costs by hundreds of yuan while enhancing performance, indicating that the company's significant R&D investments are driving long-term margin expansion.
- Domestic Chip Sourcing Goals: Nio aims for 35% to 40% of its automotive semiconductors to be sourced domestically by 2027, addressing rising AI computing demands and supply chain volatility while standardizing its chip ecosystem to improve scale efficiency.
- Strong ES8 Demand: Nio is set to deliver its 80,000th third-generation ES8, which accounted for over half of February deliveries, with first-quarter delivery expectations ranging from 80,000 to 83,000 vehicles, showcasing a strong recovery in orders following the Chinese New Year slowdown.
See More
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- Strong ES8 Delivery Momentum: Nio is set to deliver its 80,000th third-generation ES8, which accounted for over 54% of total deliveries in February with 11,260 units sold, maintaining its top position in China's large SUV market for three consecutive months, reflecting robust market demand and brand influence.
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See More
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