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

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) was upgraded by stock 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 presently has a $17.00 price objective on the electric vehicle automaker’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 48.47% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on RIVN. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Rivian Automotive from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Rivian Automotive from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on shares of Rivian Automotive from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Rivian Automotive from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.50.

Rivian Automotive Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of RIVN stock opened at $11.45 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $14.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.53. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Rivian Automotive has a 12 month low of $11.38 and a 12 month high of $22.69.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.64) by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.15 billion for 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%. Rivian Automotive’s quarterly revenue was up 38.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($1.08) earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Rivian Automotive will post -2.92 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Claire McDonough sold 13,144 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.50, for a total value of $190,588.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 827,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,994,414.50. This represents a 1.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Michael John Callahan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,001,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,026,640. This trade represents a 1.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 51,167 shares of company stock valued at $788,306. Company insiders own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rivian Automotive

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rivian Automotive in the 1st quarter worth approximately $985,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Rivian Automotive by 163.9% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 289,693 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $5,026,000 after acquiring an additional 179,913 shares during the last quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund raised its position in Rivian Automotive by 34.9% in the 1st quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 348,800 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $5,249,000 after purchasing an additional 90,200 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC raised its position in Rivian Automotive by 16.1% in the 1st quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 683,024 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $10,280,000 after purchasing an additional 94,840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Rivian Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at $49,915,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.25% of the company’s stock.

Key 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.