Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Shares Down 7.2% – What’s Next?

Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) shares traded down 7.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $17.07 and last traded at $17.50. 52,378,715 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 47% from the average session volume of 35,742,805 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.85.

Key Headlines Impacting Rivian Automotive

Here are the key news stories impacting Rivian Automotive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will be a keynote speaker at ACT Expo 2026, giving the company visibility with fleet and commercial buyers that could support commercial vehicle demand and partnerships. Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe and Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy Announced as Keynote Speakers for ACT Expo 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several industry pieces discuss Rivian’s position in the EV market and longer-term potential; these are informative but not immediate catalysts. Monitor market-share commentary and vehicle-opportunity analysis for medium-term implications. America’s New Favorite EV Isn’t Tesla—and the Stock May Surprise (RIVN)
• Negative Sentiment: UBS downgraded RIVN to Sell (from Neutral/Hold) in a move cited as a principal driver of the intraday decline; the firm set a $15 price target, implying downside from current levels and increasing short-term selling pressure. EV Stock Eyes 5th-Straight Loss After Downgrade Rivian Stock Falls After Second Sell Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research also lowered its rating (to Underperform/Lower), adding to the cluster of recent sell-side negative calls and amplifying downside risk as fund managers and quant models react to analyst signals. Wolfe Research downgrades Rivian Automotive (RIVN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains around a Hold, reflecting mixed views; this limits bright near-term upgrades but keeps long-term views varied—watch next analyst notes for conviction changes. Rivian Automotive, Inc. Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Price-prediction and commentary pieces show recent multi-session declines and downward forecasts, reinforcing technical selling and momentum weakness. Increased volume today suggests forced or broad-based selling following the analyst actions. Rivian Price Prediction and Forecast 2026-2030

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $10.00 price target (down previously from $14.00) on shares of Rivian Automotive in a report on Monday, October 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Rivian Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Rivian Automotive from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wedbush raised their price target on Rivian Automotive from $16.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and eight have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Rivian Automotive currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.03.

Rivian Automotive Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market cap of $21.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.63 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.98.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.65) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.71) by $0.06. Rivian Automotive had a negative net margin of 61.34% and a negative return on equity of 57.33%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($1.08) EPS. Rivian Automotive’s quarterly revenue was up 78.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Rivian Automotive, Inc. will post -3.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Rivian Automotive

In related news, Director Peter Krawiec sold 3,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.45, for a total transaction of $71,089.75. Following the sale, the director owned 29,122 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $566,422.90. This trade represents a 11.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Robert J. Scaringe sold 17,450 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.55, for a total value of $341,147.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,132,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,143,483.45. The trade was a 1.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 155,054 shares of company stock worth $2,733,010 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rivian Automotive

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Rivian Automotive by 315.6% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,787 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,357 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Rivian Automotive by 113.6% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,880 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in Rivian Automotive in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Fairman Group LLC acquired a new stake in Rivian Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 291.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 2,123 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 1,580 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.25% of the company’s stock.

About Rivian Automotive

Rivian Automotive, Inc is an American automotive technology company specializing in the design, development and manufacture of electric vehicles. The company is best known for its all-electric R1 platform, which underpins the R1T pickup truck and R1S sport utility vehicle. In addition to consumer products, Rivian has secured a significant commercial contract to produce electric delivery vans for a leading e-commerce provider, underscoring its capability to serve both retail and fleet customers.

Founded in 2009 by engineer and entrepreneur Robert “RJ” Scaringe, Rivian has grown from a research-focused startup into a publicly traded corporation.