NEW YORK, Jan 13, 2026, 14:31 EST — Regular session
Shares of WeRide Inc (WRD.O) dropped roughly 10% on Tuesday, wiping out early gains and lagging behind the wider market. The stock fell 10.1% to $8.81 in afternoon trading, after closing at $9.79 on Monday, with around 6.3 million shares changing hands.
The pullback follows renewed rate risk concerns after the Trump administration launched a criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, raising doubts about the duration of restrictive policy. “Everyone we know believes in Fed independence,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said, cautioning that pressure on the central bank might push inflation expectations up and drive rates even higher. (Reuters)
Inflation data failed to fully settle markets. The Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% in December and stayed at 2.7% year-over-year, the Labor Department reported. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2% monthly and 2.6% annually. These numbers keep bets on the Fed holding rates steady at its Jan. 27-28 meeting intact. (Reuters)
WeRide’s slide followed losses in other China-related autonomy and mobility stocks. Pony AI (PONY.O) dropped nearly 9.8%, Baidu (BIDU.O) shed around 2.2%, Uber (UBER.N) gained roughly 1.3%, and Grab (GRAB.O) slipped about 2.4%.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq had both slipped roughly 0.3% when this was written. WeRide offers robotaxis, robobuses, and robosweepers, along with related services and support. Its operations cover China as well as international markets like the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, France, Singapore, and Japan, per Reuters data.
The company has been relying on overseas partnerships to boost volume beyond China. In November, Uber launched fully driverless WeRide robotaxis in Abu Dhabi, building on an earlier partnership the two firms announced. (Reuters)
WeRide expanded its investor reach by listing in Hong Kong late last year, setting the share price at HK$27.10 and aiming to raise HK$2.39 billion ($307.7 million). (Reuters)
The downside scenario is straightforward. Robotaxi firms rely heavily on permits and local regulations that can change abruptly. Investor sentiment can sour fast on safety concerns or signs of additional funding needs. On top of that, U.S.-China tensions and fears over delisting have influenced how global investors approach these trades. (Reuters)
Traders are watching to see if WRD can stay above Tuesday’s low around $8.70 as the session winds down, or if the selling pressure will spill over into the broader small-cap autonomy sector.
WeRide’s upcoming earnings report on March 13 will be a key moment, with investors focused on deployment progress and how the company is managing its cash. (Investing)
