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Rivian crashes, Tesla feels pressure as Nasdaq slides on Samsung news

The Nasdaq saw a decline driven by news concerning Samsung, while EV makers Rivian and Tesla experienced significant drops. Rivian's crash, likely due to recent production/delivery news, is putting pressure across the EV sector, especially on Tesla.

Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas, Austin — file photoFile photo · Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas, Austin · Jun 2022 · Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0 · Source & license

The story

The Nasdaq Composite experienced a notable dip today, with a key contributing factor being news related to Samsung, which rattled tech investors. This broader market movement was exacerbated by a sharp decline in electric vehicle (EV) stocks, particularly Rivian (RIVN) and Tesla (TSLA).

Rivian's stock plummeted significantly, likely in response to recent reports or concerns regarding its production outlook or delivery numbers, though specific details from the headline are sparse. This substantial drop from a prominent EV challenger has created a ripple effect across the sector.

The pressure on Rivian has naturally extended to Tesla, the dominant player in the EV market. While Tesla's recent revenue showed a slight year-over-year decline, its established profitability (4.1% net margin) and scale offer a buffer compared to Rivian's deep unprofitability (-67.3% net margin). The market is clearly re-evaluating the growth prospects and competitive landscape within the EV space, especially for companies still in heavy investment phases like Rivian.

Investors are now watching how quickly Rivian can address its profitability challenges and scale production efficiently. For Tesla, the question is whether it can maintain market share and pricing power amidst broader EV demand concerns and increasing competition, even as its own financials are more robust. The immediate future will likely see continued volatility as the market digests these developments and awaits further clarity on demand and production trends for both companies.

Our read · Tue, Jul 7

The market is reacting to significant drops in Rivian and Tesla shares, raising questions about the broader health and future outlook for the electric vehicle sector.

Why. The headline points to Rivian 'crashing' and Tesla 'feeling the heat,' suggesting a sector-wide re-evaluation. A pair trade long TSLA and short RIVN capitalizes on TSLA's relative financial strength (18.0% gross margin, 4.1% net margin, positive EPS) against RIVN's significant unprofitability (-67.3% net margin, -$3.07 dil. EPS), anticipating that market pressure will disproportionately affect the weaker player.

Both cases

The case it holdsTesla's established production, positive net margins, and profitability (EPS $1.08) position it to better weather sector headwinds compared to unprofitable rivals, making it a relative outperformer in a down EV market.
The case it breaksRivian's deep unprofitability (-67.3% net margin) and negative diluted EPS (-$3.07) make it highly vulnerable to negative market sentiment and production concerns, exacerbating declines when the EV sector faces pressure.

What could change this view: A sudden positive catalyst for Rivian (e.g., unexpected production beat or new strategic partnership) or significant negative news for Tesla (e.g., further price cuts, demand shock) would invalidate this trade.

Rivian Automotive stock page →
Your side is graded privately against closes after 10 trading days. Research, not advice.

Who reported it · 1

Since this story · the companies named here, equal weight · −17.1%

Jul 7 · first close after publicationNov 5

Price context does not establish that the story caused the move.

Related by name

Tesla to wind down Cybertruck production as Musk pivots to roboticsFinancial Times · Fri, Nov 6 · 4:44 AM ET · shares a name with this story, not a connection
Tesla and SpaceX lose $456 billion as Musk-linked selloff deepensMarketWatch · Thu, Nov 5 · 4:43 PM ET · shares a name with this story, not a connection

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About this report

Reported by Yahoo Finance as Stock Market Today: Nasdaq Drops On Samsung News; Rivian Crashes, Tesla Feels The Heat (Live Coverage), . Who answers for this

The only report in this record. Closes are licensed end-of-day data from Databento; the move after a story is its first close against the close before it. How this is decided →

Kept as written · your side, if you take one, is graded privately against licensed closes after 10 trading days · nothing here is advice · How the Wire is made →