Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on NIO (NYSE:NIO)

NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders acquired 238,070 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 52% compared to the average volume of 157,035 call options.

NIO Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NIO traded up $0.35 during trading on Friday, hitting $5.05. The company had a trading volume of 90,805,827 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,234,273. NIO has a 12 month low of $3.02 and a 12 month high of $8.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.48 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $5.76.

Institutional Trading of NIO

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of NIO by 148.3% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,817 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 2,877 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its stake in NIO by 98.3% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 5,950 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 2,950 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in NIO by 183.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 6,596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 4,269 shares during the last quarter. Aries Wealth Management bought a new position in NIO during the third quarter valued at $76,000. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in NIO in the 3rd quarter worth about $77,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on NIO. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of NIO in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Macquarie Infrastructure raised shares of NIO from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $6.10 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $7.00 price target on shares of NIO in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of NIO from $3.00 to $4.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded shares of NIO from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $6.83.

NIO News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NIO this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NIO forecasts an adjusted operating profit of RMB700M–RMB1,200M (≈US$100M–$172M) for Q4 2025 and GAAP operating profit of RMB200M–RMB700M, driven by higher sales, a favorable product mix and cost cuts. GlobeNewswire Profit Alert
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets flagged the surprise/profit alert and framed it as a major milestone that lifted investor sentiment and trading activity. Benzinga coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s figures are preliminary and based on unaudited management accounts; NIO emphasizes the results are not final and may differ from audited statements. Investors should await the formal Q4/FY2025 report for verification. QuiverQuant summary
• Negative Sentiment: NIO’s headline profit is an adjusted (non‑GAAP) measure that excludes share‑based compensation; long-term sustainability remains uncertain as the company still has high cumulative net losses and historically inconsistent profitability. Fool analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Broader risks — weakening EV demand in China after subsidy rollbacks, intense competition, and execution/supply‑chain risks — could pressure margins and future quarters even after this one‑time turnaround. Zacks note on risks

NIO Company Profile

NIO Inc is a pioneer in the premium electric vehicle (EV) segment, dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of smart, high-performance EVs. Established in November 2014 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, the company focuses on integrating cutting-edge electric propulsion, advanced connectivity and autonomous driving technologies into its automotive platforms. NIO’s vision centers on creating a holistic user experience that extends beyond the vehicle itself, encompassing energy services and digital solutions.

The company’s product lineup includes flagship SUVs and sedans such as the ES8, ES6, EC6, ET7 and ET5, each engineered to deliver strong performance, long range and a suite of intelligent driver-assistance features.