Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) and its peers.
Much capital investment and technical know-how are needed to manufacture functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing automobiles for the mass market. Barriers to entry are therefore high, and auto manufacturers with economies of scale can boast strong economic moats. However, this doesn’t insulate them from new entrants, as electric vehicles (EVs) have entered the market and are upending it. This has forced established manufacturers to not only contend with emerging EV-first competitors but also decide how much they want to invest in these disruptive technologies, which will likely cannibalize their legacy offerings.
The 7 automobile manufacturing stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 6.1%.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 18.4% since the latest earnings results.
Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN)
The manufacturer of Amazon’s delivery trucks, Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) designs, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and commercial delivery vans.
Rivian reported revenues of $1.73 billion, up 31.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 22.4%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Rivian achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 14.7% since reporting and currently trades at $11.59.
Best Q4: Ford (NYSE: F)
Established to make automobiles accessible to a broader segment of the population, Ford (NYSE: F) designs, manufactures, and sells a variety of automobiles, trucks, and electric vehicles.
Ford reported revenues of $48.21 billion, up 4.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ sales volume and EBITDA estimates.
The stock is down 5.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $9.47.
Is now the time to buy Ford? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Slowest Q4: Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA)
Originally founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is an electric vehicle company accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Tesla reported revenues of $25.71 billion, up 2.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 6%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ operating income and EPS estimates.
Tesla delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 37.2% since the results and currently trades at $243.70.
Read our full analysis of Tesla’s results here.
Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID)
Founded by a former Tesla Vice President, Lucid Group (NASDAQ: LCID) designs, manufactures, and sells luxury electric vehicles with long-range capabilities.
Lucid reported revenues of $234.5 million, up 49.2% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 10.8%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ sales volume and EPS estimates.
Lucid delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 10.7% since reporting and currently trades at $2.33.
Read our full, actionable report on Lucid here, it’s free.
Winnebago (NYSE: WGO)
Created to provide high-quality, affordable RVs to the post-war American family, Winnebago (NYSE: WGO) is a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, providing a range of motorhomes, travel trailers, and fifth-wheel products for outdoor and adventure lifestyles.
Winnebago reported revenues of $620.2 million, down 11.9% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Winnebago had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 14.1% since reporting and currently trades at $29.85.
Read our full, actionable report on Winnebago here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
Join Paid Stock Investor Research
Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.
