New York, May 25, 2026, 17:03 (EDT)
- U.S. markets didn’t open Monday because of Memorial Day. NIO’s most recent NYSE close was Friday at $5.20.
- The stock dropped 7.14% on Friday while Wall Street traded higher.
- Investors get a short week with NIO’s delivery push, the ES9 launch window, and U.S. inflation data all in focus.
NIO Inc. shares in the U.S. ended Friday down 7.14% at $5.20, even as the broader market traded higher. The New York Stock Exchange will be closed Monday for Memorial Day. Trading in NIO’s American depositary shares, or ADSs, resumes Tuesday. These are U.S.-traded certificates for foreign shares.
NIO shares fell as the company outlined stronger revenue, better margins and said it expects more deliveries in the second quarter. But the stock is still trading as if NIO has to keep proving its rebound is sustainable.
Big volume for NIO on Friday. MarketWatch said the stock traded 87.5 million shares, way over its 50-day average. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.19% and the Dow was up 0.58%. Reuters put the S&P 500 up 0.37%, leaving U.S. stocks near records for the week.
Earnings were the main focus last week. NIO posted first-quarter revenue of RMB25.53 billion, or $3.70 billion, up 112.2% year-over-year. The company delivered 83,465 vehicles in the quarter, a jump of 98.3%. Vehicle margin climbed to 18.8%. Net loss for the quarter came in at RMB332.1 million.
NIO’s founder and CEO William Bin Li said the company is now in an “intensive new product launch and delivery cycle.” NIO is forecasting vehicle deliveries of 110,000 to 115,000 for the second quarter. CFO Stanley Yu Qu flagged four consecutive quarters of vehicle-margin gains and said the company will continue to focus on “cost and operational efficiency.” NIO Inc.
The calendar picks up after the Monday holiday in New York. NIO’s ES9 flagship executive SUV is set to launch and deliver on May 27. The ONVO L80 is already in delivery following its May 15 launch. On Friday, NIO issued notice for its annual meeting, which is scheduled for June 24 in Shanghai.
Competition is fierce. Reuters reported last week that XPeng rolled out its full-size GX SUV. BYD launched an upgraded Denza N9, and Li Auto brought out refreshed L9 models. NIO’s ES9 joins the push for big, feature-packed premium SUVs. Morningstar analyst Vincent Sun told Reuters he sees XPeng’s deliveries up about 12% this year—showing that rivals want scale as much as margin.
NIO’s issue is that stronger numbers alone might not cut it. A big delivery goal is good, but what matters is how the ES9 and ONVO models do on pricing, factory utilization and margins in China’s packed EV space.
Broader markets may get tougher. Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise, told Reuters in a Week Ahead note that the “macro environment is starting to take more center stage” with earnings season wrapping up. Jim Baird at Plante Moran Financial Advisors said “Inflation concerns continue to flare.” The U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index report on Thursday, a key Federal Reserve inflation measure, will be in focus for growth stocks and foreign ADRs. Reuters
But the risk is clear: NIO may run into weakness if investors doubt that faster deliveries are enough to offset lower prices, expenses from new models, and losses. If U.S. yields climb again or China EV sales miss, Friday’s selloff might not be just a blip, but the beginning of a new slide.
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