Rivian Automotive (RIVN +1.21%) stock is slipping in Tuesday's trading. The electric vehicle (EV) company's share price was down 4.6% as of 2:30 p.m. ET.
NASDAQ: RIVN
Key Data Points
D.A. Davidson published a note today lowering its sales forecast for Rivian, according to reporting from the blog EV. On the other hand, D.A. Davidson maintained its rating and price target for Rivian stock.
Rivian stock falls after a sales target cut from an investment firm
D.A. Davidson's analysts lowered their sales target for Rivian's current fiscal year to $4.73 billion, down from their previous target for sales of $5 billion. The analysts cited potential production shortfalls and supply chain issues. Meanwhile, the investment firm reiterated a neutral rating on the stock and a $13-per-share one-year price target.
To some extent, a potential revenue shortfall was already foreshadowed by Rivian's update on third-quarter vehicle production and deliveries. While the stock is falling on the heels of the analyst coverage, the firm's one-year price target still suggests potential upside of roughly 25% as of this writing.
What's next for Rivian?
Rivian is scheduled to publish its third-quarter results after the market closes on Nov. 7. While investors are still waiting to see how sales and earnings figures for the period come in, the EV specialist has already provided updates on vehicle production and deliveries in the quarter. The business produced 13,157 vehicles and delivered 10,018 vehicles in Q3. It produced 16,304 vehicles and delivered 15,564 vehicles in the prior-year quarter.
With its Q3 update, Rivian stated that it was facing production headwinds due to the shortage of a component used in its R1 and RCV vehicles. In response, the company lowered its full-year production guidance to between 47,000 vehicles and 49,000 vehicles. Previously, the EV player had guided for the production of 57,000 vehicles.
Despite deliveries coming in significantly below production in Q3, the company's deliveries forecast was more encouraging and seems to reflect solid demand. The company is targeting deliveries between 50,500 and 52,000 for the year -- suggesting low-single-digit growth compared to last year's performance. If the supply chain issue can be quickly resolved, Rivian may be able to return to stronger growth next year -- but investors should keep in mind that macroeconomic trends will continue to have a significant impact on the EV space and overall automotive industry.
