Rivian shares fall on mixed earnings and ongoing losses

Shares in Rivian Automotive Inc. dropped in late buying and selling after the electrical car maker reported blended outcomes and ongoing losses in its newest earnings report.

For its fourth quarter that ended Dec. 31, Rivian reported an adjusted lack of $1.73 per share on income of $663 million. Analysts had been expecting earnings per share lack of $1.94 on income of $742.4 million.

Rivian reported a web loss within the quarter of $1.723 billion, down from $2.461 billion in the identical quarter of final yr. For the fiscal yr 2022, the corporate misplaced $6.856 billion, up from $4.22 billion the yr prior. Adjusted earnings earlier than curiosity taxes, depreciation and amortization got here in at a lack of $1.461 billion.

Startups do bleed cash, however Rivian went public in 2021, so it’s not a startup. However you wouldn’t know that from its figures. For instance, web money utilized in working actions within the quarter got here in at $1.146 billion. Internet money burned by way of the fiscal yr 2022 was a staggering $5.052 billion, roughly double what it was the yr earlier than. The one solace is that as of the top of December, Rivian nonetheless had about $12 billion in money and equivalents available.

Automobile makers prefer to fake to be tech startups, Tesla Inc. being an excellent instance, however what number of automobiles it made remains to be an essential query. Though Rivian is bettering, the variety of autos it made in 2022 was solely 24,337, regardless of manufacturing rising 36% within the fourth quarter.

Highlights within the quarter included Rivian beginning a second manufacturing shift as a part of its efforts to develop R1 electrical pickup truck manufacturing. The corporate additionally says it took steps to ship value effectivity, together with simplifying its future product portfolio and driving a decrease value construction throughout all elements of its enterprise. That was within the fourth quarter, however the firm began shedding individuals, 6% of its workers, solely in February.

If the huge losses weren’t disturbing sufficient, Rivian also announced a recall of 12,700 autos. The third Rivial recall since 2021 got here after a sensor situation with the entrance passenger seat-belt techniques.

Wanting ahead, Rivian predicts that it’s going to make 50,000 autos in 2023 and ship an adjusted lack of $4.3 billion.

“Throughout 2023, our gross margin is predicted to stay damaging, however we anticipate bettering on a greenback foundation for the yr as manufacturing volumes within the manufacturing unit enhance and we make progress on our industrial, engineering, and operational value down efforts,” the corporate stated in a letter to shareholders.

Rivian shares had been down greater than 9% after-hours.

Photograph: Rivian