Rivian’s Retail Fans Turn Cheerful As Stock Eyes Recovery After 3-Day Lull

Rivian Automotive Inc. shares surged 7% on Friday, on track to snap a three sessions of no gains, lifting the spirits of the company’s retail investor base. 

The stock’s uptick comes after a broader market pullback triggered by the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance and amid concerns about slowing EV growth in 2025, partly tied to uncertainty surrounding the Inflation Reduction Act.

On Friday, softer-than-expected inflation data also added to some market bullishness.

On Stocktwits, where Rivian has over 80,000 followers, sentiment flipped to ‘bullish’ Friday afternoon from ‘bearish’ a day ago. 

RIVN sentiment and message volume Dec 20 as of 12:30 pm ET | source: Stocktwits

Posts showed that retail optimism was fueled by the stock’s resilience despite a recent downgrade and the overall market downturn. 

Some users cited positive customer feedback and increased sightings of Rivian vehicles on the road as reasons for renewed confidence.

Last month, Rivian received conditional approval for a $6.6 billion federal loan to support the delayed construction of an EV factory. The funds are expected to help the company scale production of affordable EVs. 

Additionally, Volkswagen AG recently increased its planned investment in Rivian to $5.8 billion, signaling stronger collaboration.

In terms of financial outlook, Rivian aims to achieve positive gross profit this quarter, boosted by regulatory credit sales projected to reach $300 million this year.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Rivian and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have a confidential agreement easing unionization efforts at the company’s Illinois factory. 

That deal, contingent on Rivian reaching profitability, reportedly paved the way for the Department of Energy’s conditional loan approval.

Rivian shares are down over 36% year-to-date.

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