Record Deliveries Help Drive Nio Into a Bright Future

Key Points

• Nio announced it raised $1.16 billion before expenses in an equity offering.

• Nio set a delivery record in August, topping 30,000 for the second time in its history.

• Management has been able to support margins through cost cutting.

• 10 stocks we like better than Nio ›

Typically, when a company announces it is raising capital through an equity offering, the share price declines. There are a number of reasons for that, including shareholder dilution or simply a red flag suggesting the company is running low on cash.

Nio (NYSE: NIO), however, did the opposite after its announcement and in fact the company has roughly doubled over the past three months. So what has investors so optimistic about this round of funding?

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Image source: Nio.

What's going on?

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker announced it has raised $1.16 billion before expenses from its latest equity offering. Nio plans to put this cash to work through developing smart EV technologies, designing new platforms and vehicle models, and expand its global charging and battery-swapping networks. Nio will also use part of the proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet, which had $3.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the second quarter.

In addition to the momentum created by the announcement, Nio is having a solid year. In fact, Nio set a company record for deliveries during August, shipping more than 31,300 vehicles to consumers last month. It was only the second time deliveries topped the 30,000 mark with the other month dating back to December of 2024.

The automaker posted a 26% increase in second quarter deliveries, as well as a 9% increase in revenue. Adjusted losses per share narrowed and deliveries for the third quarter are expected to pop between 41% and 47% year over year.

Data source: Nio press releases. Image created by author.

One driving force behind Nio's rising deliveries is simply the launch of newer mass-market brands, Firefly and Onvo. Nio just recently revealed its updated Onvo L60 crossover SUV, with deliveries set to begin in October.

Ironically, surging sales also presented Nio with a speed bump. The EV maker has sold out of its ES8 SUV production capacity through 2025, with delivery waits of up to 26 weeks -- new customers may not receive their vehicle until March. The driving force behind the surge was partially because China's new energy vehicle (NEV) purchase tax exemption begins to phase out at the end of the year, raising costs for customers whose orders slip into next year. Aggressive pricing, which makes the new ES8 roughly 30% cheaper than the previous generation, fueled strong demand that quickly outpaced supply.

What it all means

The markets are catching on after a handful of analysts unleashed bullish notes on the company during September. Renewed analyst confidence, a stronger balance sheet, and new mass-market brands receiving strong demand are just some of the reasons investors see a potential bull run in the long term.

That said, it's certainly still true that Nio faces challenges in its home market, China, which is currently in a brutal price war that has even had the government speak out to the industry, calling for an end to the "race to the bottom" of prices by the industry's biggest players. If management can support margins through cost cutting amid the price war, it could signal a bright future for the young EV maker.

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Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.