Rivian designs, develops, and manufactures electric vehicles and accessories in the automotive industry.
It is an emerging pure-play EV maker distinguished by its focus on luxury adventure vehicles like the R1T pickup and R1S SUV.
Updated: January 16, 2026, 16:00 EST
Based on the provided data, here is a comprehensive analysis of RIVN.
Technical Analysis Rivian's stock has shown impressive momentum, significantly outperforming the market over the last three months. However, this comes with high volatility, evidenced by a substantial historical drawdown and a high beta. The current price is in the middle of its 52-week range, suggesting it is neither strongly overbought nor oversold from a technical perspective.
Fundamental Analysis The company demonstrates strong revenue growth, which is a positive sign of market demand. The primary concern is a complete lack of profitability, with deeply negative margins and cash burn. While it maintains a solid cash position for now, its negative interest coverage ratio highlights the financial strain of its current operations.
Valuation & Risk Valuation is challenging as traditional metrics are negative; the stock appears priced for high future growth rather than current fundamentals, which carries inherent risk. The most significant risk is its extreme volatility and the ongoing cash burn required to fund operations before achieving profitability.
Recommendation
RIVN is a high-risk, high-potential investment suitable only for investors with a corresponding risk tolerance. The stock is a bet on the company's long-term ability to successfully scale production and achieve profitability, which is not guaranteed. While the recent momentum and growth story are compelling, the current fundamentals do not support a buy recommendation for most investors. It is recommended to monitor the company's path to profitability closely rather than initiating a position at this time.
Of course. Here is a 12-month outlook for RIVN stock:
12-Month Outlook for RIVN
Over the next 12 months, Rivian's outlook is heavily dependent on its execution against key catalysts, primarily the successful launch of its more affordable R2 platform and demonstrating a clear path toward reducing its significant cash burn. The potential for strategic partnerships or government policy support provides additional upside. However, the primary risks remain substantial, including intense competition, persistent macroeconomic pressures on consumer spending, and the looming need for additional capital if the path to profitability lengthens. Given the current lack of analyst consensus on a target price and the stock's high volatility, investors should expect a wide trading range, likely between $14 and $27, as the market reacts to quarterly production and delivery figures alongside updates on cost-cutting measures.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $16.67, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, RIVN has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
Rivian's stock has demonstrated exceptional short-term performance with substantial gains, notably outperforming the broader market over the past three months. Despite this strong rally, it remains susceptible to high volatility, as evidenced by its significant maximum drawdown over the past year.
The stock has delivered impressive short-term returns, surging 14.73% over one month and a remarkable 44.0% over three months. This performance significantly outpaces the market, with a relative strength of 40.63%, indicating strong investor momentum. However, the high beta of 1.776 suggests these gains come with elevated volatility risk.
Currently trading at $18.85, RIVN sits near the midpoint of its 52-week range ($10.36 to $22.69), suggesting it is neither strongly overbought nor oversold based on this metric. The substantial recovery from its low indicates strong buying interest, but the memory of a 31.21% drawdown highlights the stock's inherent risk and the importance of the recent high around $22.69 as a key resistance level.
| Period | RIVN Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -6.9% | +1.9% |
| 3m | +27.1% | +4.4% |
| 6m | +27.9% | +10.9% |
| 1y | +17.3% | +15.7% |
| ytd | -14.1% | +1.2% |
Revenue & Profitability: Rivian continues to exhibit strong revenue growth, with Q3 2025 revenue reaching $1.56 billion, a significant increase from $1.30 billion in the prior quarter. However, profitability remains deeply negative, with a gross profit margin of -3.1% and a net income margin of -75.3%, indicating the company is still burning substantial cash on each vehicle sold before accounting for massive operating expenses.
Financial Health: The company maintains a solid liquidity position with a current ratio of 2.71 and a cash ratio of 1.30, supported by substantial cash reserves. While the debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98 appears manageable, the critically low interest coverage ratio of -14.25 and negative free cash flow per share of -$0.35 highlight significant cash burn and an inability to service debt from operating earnings.
Operational Efficiency: Operational metrics reveal substantial challenges, with a return on equity of -23.2% and a return on assets of -7.7%, reflecting inefficient use of capital. The asset turnover of 0.10 and fixed asset turnover of 0.29 indicate poor utilization of the company's substantial manufacturing assets, which is typical for early-stage automotive manufacturers scaling production but remains a key area for improvement.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardRivian's valuation metrics indicate significant challenges, as both its trailing and forward PE ratios are negative due to net losses, rendering traditional earnings-based valuation ineffective. The PB ratio of 4.62 and PS ratio of 4.02 are elevated, suggesting the market is pricing in high growth expectations despite current unprofitability. The negative EV/EBITDA of -20.484 further confirms substantial operational losses, while a PEG ratio above 6 signals overvaluation relative to its growth prospects, pointing to an overheated stock price.
Without specific industry average data for comparison, a definitive peer assessment is constrained. However, Rivian’s negative earnings and high PS ratio likely exceed norms for the automotive sector, where established players often maintain positive EBITDA and lower sales multiples. This disparity underscores Rivian’s premium valuation being driven by growth potential rather than current fundamentals, emphasizing higher risk in the absence of profitability.
Of course. Here is a risk analysis for RIVN based on the provided metrics.
The equity exhibits significant volatility and directional risk, as indicated by its high Beta of 1.776. This suggests the stock is approximately 78% more volatile than the broader market, meaning it is likely to experience larger price swings both upward and downward. This heightened volatility is further confirmed by the substantial one-year maximum drawdown of -31.21%, demonstrating a history of severe peak-to-trough declines that pose a considerable risk to capital.
Beyond pure price volatility, the lack of reported short interest is a noteworthy but double-edged data point. While it implies that professional investors are not currently betting aggressively on the stock's decline, which can be viewed positively, it may also mask underlying risks. The absence of a short interest figure could be related to specific reporting standards or, more critically, could indicate challenges with stock borrow liquidity, potentially making it difficult for investors to exit large positions efficiently during market stress.
Bearish. While Rivian shows promising revenue growth and a solid liquidity position, the stock is not a compelling buy now due to deeply negative profitability, a premium valuation unsupported by earnings, and high volatility. It remains a speculative, high-risk bet suitable only for aggressive growth investors comfortable with substantial potential losses. The overwhelming "Sell" consensus from analysts further underscores these heightened risks.
Based on the provided data, RIVN stock is overvalued. Key valuation metrics like the Price-to-Sales (PS) ratio of 4.02 and Price-to-Book (PB) ratio of 4.62 are high, especially when compared to the automotive industry, which typically has lower multiples for unprofitable companies. Furthermore, a PEG ratio of 6.59 signals that the stock's price is significantly elevated relative to its growth prospects. This valuation appears driven by future growth expectations rather than current fundamentals, as the company is deeply unprofitable with negative margins and cash flow.
Based on the provided analysis, here are the key risks of holding RIVN stock, ordered by importance.
1. Severe and Sustained Cash Burn: The company's deeply negative net income margin (-75.3%) and negative free cash flow pose a fundamental risk to its solvency, requiring continuous access to capital markets to fund operations. 2. Extreme Price Volatility: The stock's high Beta (1.776) and significant maximum drawdown (-31.21%) indicate it is prone to much larger price swings than the market, presenting a substantial risk of capital loss. 3. Profitability and Operational Challenges: Persistently negative gross margins (-3.1%) and poor asset utilization metrics indicate core operational inefficiency in manufacturing and scaling, questioning the path to sustainable profitability.
Based on the provided financial metrics indicating high revenue growth but persistent cash burn as of Q3 2025, here is a forecast for RIVN stock through 2026.
My forecast for 2026 envisions a base case target price range of $22-$28, with a bull case of $35-$45, contingent on Rivian achieving sustained gross margin profitability from R2 production. Key growth drivers are the successful high-volume launch of the R2 vehicle, demonstrating a clear path to positive free cash flow, and the potential for a strategic partnership to alleviate capital needs. The primary assumptions are that the company secures necessary funding without excessive dilution and that EV demand remains resilient, though the forecast carries high uncertainty due to intense competition and macroeconomic risks that could further delay profitability.