Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Upgraded to Buy at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies upgraded Rivian to “Buy” from “Hold” and set a $17 price target, implying approximately 48% upside from the reported $11.45 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Rivian has an average “Hold” rating and a $19.50 consensus target, with 14 Buy, 8 Hold, and 5 Sell ratings.
• Rivian beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.15 billion in revenue and a $0.48 per-share loss, although it remains deeply unprofitable with a negative 54.96% net margin and continued cash-consumption risks.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $17.00 price objective on the electric vehicle automaker's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target points to a potential upside of 48.47% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research firms have also commented on RIVN. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Rivian Automotive from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Rivian Automotive from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $18.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, July 27th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, September 14th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group boosted their price target on Rivian Automotive from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rivian Automotive has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $19.50.

Rivian Automotive Price Performance

Shares of RIVN opened at $11.45 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average is $14.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.65. Rivian Automotive has a 1 year low of $11.38 and a 1 year high of $22.69.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.48) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.64) by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2 billion. Rivian Automotive had a negative return on equity of 73.90% and a negative net margin of 54.96%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 38.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($1.08) EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Rivian Automotive will post -2.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rivian Automotive news, insider Michael John Callahan sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,001,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,026,640. This represents a 1.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Claire McDonough sold 8,023 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.00, for a total value of $128,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 819,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,106,848. The trade was a 0.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 51,167 shares of company stock valued at $788,306 over the last 90 days. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Rivian Automotive by 4.0% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 16,056 shares of the electric vehicle automaker's stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 613 shares in the last quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rivian Automotive by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC now owns 15,767 shares of the electric vehicle automaker's stock worth $274,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its holdings in Rivian Automotive by 1.0% during the third quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 105,261 shares of the electric vehicle automaker's stock valued at $1,573,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 2.0% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 56,758 shares of the electric vehicle automaker's stock valued at $985,000 after purchasing an additional 1,134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital lifted its position in shares of Rivian Automotive by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 33,095 shares of the electric vehicle automaker's stock worth $474,000 after purchasing an additional 1,169 shares during the last quarter. 66.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Rivian Automotive News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rivian exceeded third-quarter expectations. Revenue rose 38.3% year over year to approximately $2.15 billion, above the roughly $2 billion consensus estimate. The company reported an adjusted loss of $0.48 per share, narrower than the expected $0.64–$0.65 loss and substantially better than the $1.08 loss recorded a year earlier. Rivian third-quarter earnings beat estimates as software revenue, R2 deliveries rise
• Positive Sentiment: The R2 ramp is showing early traction. Rivian said its new R2 SUV became the company’s best-selling vehicle during the quarter. Higher deliveries helped support revenue and gross-profit improvement, while the company raised its full-year delivery outlook and updated guidance for adjusted earnings and capital expenditures. The R2 SUV is already Rivian’s best-selling vehicle
• Positive Sentiment: Software and strategic partnerships add potential upside. Rivian expanded its $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen to include an AI assistant and recently acquired Third Dimension AI to strengthen driver-assistance technology and its Autonomy+ services. These initiatives could improve future software revenue and margins. Rivian expands joint venture with VW to include AI assistant
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and cash consumption remain major risks. Rivian still posted a GAAP net loss of approximately $913 million, or $0.63 per share, with a negative net margin of 54.96% and negative return on equity. Investors will need evidence that R2 scale can turn automotive operations profitable rather than relying primarily on software and services.
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership transition adds a modest uncertainty. CFO Claire McDonough is being replaced on an interim basis by Derek Mulvey, effective October 30. The transition may draw attention as Rivian manages its production ramp and path toward profitability. Rivian Q3 2026 earnings call transcript

About Rivian Automotive

Rivian Automotive, Inc is an electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops and produces all-electric trucks, sport utility vehicles and commercial delivery vans. The company focuses on vehicles intended for outdoor recreation, everyday transportation and fleet use, combining battery-electric powertrains with software and connected-vehicle technologies.

Rivian's consumer vehicle lineup includes the R1T pickup truck and R1S sport utility vehicle. The company also develops electric commercial vans for business and delivery fleets, including vehicles produced through its relationship with Amazon.

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