The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) and the rest of the automobile manufacturing stocks fared in Q1.

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 Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 4.7%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.5% on average 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 $1.24 billion, up 3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 24.3%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Rivian pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. The results were likely priced in, however, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $13.56.

Read why we think that Rivian is one of the best automobile manufacturing stocks, our full report is free.

Best Q1: THOR Industries (NYSE: THO)

Created through the acquisition and merger of various RV manufacturers, THOR Industries manufactures and sells a range of recreational vehicles, including motorhomes and travel trailers, catering to consumers seeking the freedom and comfort of the RV lifestyle.

THOR Industries reported revenues of $2.89 billion, up 3.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 10.1%. The business had an incredible quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 3.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $85.36.

Is now the time to buy THOR Industries? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Slowest Q1: 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 $19.34 billion, down 9.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 8.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates, as Services, Automotive, and Energy all missed and a significant miss of analysts’ operating income estimates.

Tesla delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 35.5% since the results and currently trades at $322.71.

Read our full analysis of Tesla’s results here.

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 number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded 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 9.6% since reporting and currently trades at $31.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Winnebago here, it’s free.

General Motors (NYSE: GM)

Founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, General Motors (NYSE: GM) offers a range of vehicles and automobiles through brands such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.

General Motors reported revenues of $44.02 billion, up 2.3% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 2.2% since reporting and currently trades at $48.24.

Read our full, actionable report on General Motors here, it’s free.

Market Update

As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.

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