New York, March 18, 2026, 19:35 EDT
NIO Inc’s U.S. shares slipped 14 cents, dropping 2.35% to $5.82 on Wednesday, after closing at $5.96 the previous session. That marks a two-day losing streak and brings the stock under Monday’s $6.03 close.
The retreat comes just after NIO posted its first-ever quarterly net profit and record vehicle shipments, leaving investors to judge if one good quarter marks a real turnaround. Net profit for the fourth quarter landed at 282.7 million yuan ($40.4 million), with 124,807 vehicles delivered. For the first quarter, NIO projected 80,000 to 83,000 deliveries—a jump of roughly 90% to 97% over the prior year.
It wasn’t just NIO under pressure. Wall Street took a hit after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged and signaled just one cut for the year. Rising oil prices stoked fresh inflation concerns, driving the Nasdaq down 1.46%.
Last week, HSBC’s Yuqian Ding bumped NIO up to “Buy,” citing “better visibility and stronger conviction” around the company’s 2026 volume outlook and the path for earnings to improve. In the note, Ding said NIO appears to be starting a fresh cycle, with bigger volumes ahead and earnings that are coming into sharper focus. Investing.com
NIO’s ambitions aren’t limited to China these days. President Qin Lihong said the EV maker wants to move thousands of vehicles abroad this year. But Chief Executive William Li flagged a real headache: “Memory chip is indeed a problem that in worst cases can lead to production suspension.” Still, NIO is sticking with its plan to eat higher costs instead of hiking prices. Reuters
The landscape isn’t clear-cut. Tesla reported a 91% jump in China-made EV sales for February versus last year, while BMW flagged signs of price stabilisation in China after months of discounts. Over at Li Auto, profits slumped and margins narrowed last week.
Even so, it’s a tough environment out there. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence figures show global EV registrations slumped 11% in February—China, which accounts for more EVs than any other country, saw a sharp 32% slide. “Very price sensitive,” BMI data manager Charles Lester noted of buyers. Reuters
Caution lingers. NIO’s U.S.-listed shares sit 27.43% under their 52-week peak of $8.02. Volume on Wednesday came in at 26.8 million—far shy of the 50-day average of 47.2 million shares.
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