What happened
Driving higher yesterday, shares of Nio (NIO 0.38%) are reversing course and headed south today. Although the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer hasn't reported any news to spur the stock's sell-off, investors are reacting to some pessimism from Wall Street.
As of 10:49 a.m. ET, shares of Nio have dropped 4.5%.
So what
According to TheFly.com, two analysts have taken less enthusiastic positions on Nio's stock, leading investors to click the sell button. First, Tim Hsiao, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, slashed his price target on the stock to $34 from $66, a move that was predicated on concerns regarding geopolitical conflict and supply chain disruptions, among other factors.
Taking a slightly less pessimistic position, Edison Yu, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, cut his price target to $50 from $70. Although Yu sees less upside for the stock, he maintains a buy rating on the stock due to the belief that the company has "cultivated an aspirational premium brand, underpinned by a leading service infrastructure that no domestic automaker has been able to match."
Image source: Getty Images.
A third take on the EV maker's stock comes from China Renaissance. The firm's analyst, Yiming Wang, initiated coverage on Nio with a $32.40 price target. Wang includes Nio among the Chinese EV makers embracing a new stage of rapid growth after being undervalued.
Now what
While all three analysts have set price targets that are higher than the stock's current level, the drastically reduced price cuts are suggesting to investors that their beliefs that the stock of the Chinese EV maker is bound to race sharply higher may be less realistic.
More importantly, though, investors should recognize that Wall Street's commentary often reflects relatively short time horizons. Instead of the recent analyst activity, investors would be better served by examining the company's fourth-quarter 2021 earnings report, expected later tonight.
