What happened
After rising on Tuesday, shares of Nio (NIO -0.48%) shifted into reverse yesterday, and investors currently don't seem interested in changing direction. Officials in Shanghai remain unchanged in their dedication to severe lockdown measures, attempting to stem the spread of COVID-19. Investors, consequently, are concerned that this could affect the company's ability to sustain operations at a nearby factory. In addition, the strong earnings report that Tesla released last night may have Nio investors instead looking to shift gears and park shares of Elon Musk's company in their portfolios.
As of 1:12 p.m. ET, shares of Nio are down 4.8%.
So what
According to Reuters, local politicians intend to keep strict measures in place in Shanghai -- regardless of whether quarantined areas have no positive cases -- to prevent rising cases of COVID-19. Among the regulations in place, residents of areas in lockdown are not allowed to visit supermarkets, and only one member per household is allowed to visit town daily. For Nio investors, the question of whether restrictions will lead to the company having to suspend operations at a factory located outside the city is surely weighing heavily on their minds.
Image source: Getty Images.
The impressive earnings report that Tesla released yesterday is likely another factor leading to the sell-off in Nio's stock today. Although Tesla's factory in Shanghai faced a shutdown recently and it may impact the company's second-quarter 2022 earnings, it's hardly outshining the company's stellar performance in Q1 -- a period in which the company reported records on several metrics including revenue, vehicle deliveries, and operating profit. According to Elon Musk, there's significant growth on the horizon, and Nio investors may find it more compelling to hitch a ride with Tesla than assume a higher degree of risk with Nio.
Now what
The sell-off today in Nio's stock seems to be an overreaction to commentary regarding the lockdown in Shanghai. Although there may be bumps in the road ahead for the electric vehicle manufacturer, it still remains a compelling option for investors with long investing horizons who are willing to tolerate some short-term volatility.
