What happened
Shares of the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio (NIO -5.35%) were falling this morning on seemingly no company-specific news. Instead, the EV stock is likely falling as the broader market responds to soaring inflation and the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hikes.
Investors are getting increasingly concerned about the potential for a global recession, and that sentiment is likely contributing to Nio's share price decline today. The stock fell by as much as 4.9% today and was down by 2.5% as of 11:09 a.m. ET.
So what
The Federal Reserve increased the federal funds rate this week by an additional 75 basis points, marking yet another significant hike as the Fed tries to tame inflation, which is at a nearly 40-year high.
Image source: Nio.
The Fed also said it will continue to increase interest rates in 2023. The persistent hikes and commitment to continue raising them have many investors concerned that the Fed could end up tipping the U.S. economy into a recession.
Most federal banks across the globe have been increasing their rates as well, which has put some investors on edge that rate hikes in major economies could end up spurring a global recession.
While Nio mostly sells its vehicles in China, its share price is still affected by what's happening in the U.S. and any global economic slowdown could end up hurting the company's vehicle sales.
Now what
Most automakers are grappling with increasing material costs, supply chain shortages, and rising inflation. Nio and other smaller EV companies have had an especially difficult time as they've tried to ramp up production while facing these headwinds.
That doesn't mean Nio isn't a good investment, but it does mean that the company's share price could remain volatile in the short term as investors try to gauge how the global economy will affect the company's vehicle sales.
