Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Upgraded to “Buy” at Jefferies Financial Group

Posted by Stanley Muller on Oct 31st, 2026

Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN – Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have $17.00 target price on the electric vehicle automaker’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler upgraded Rivian Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, July 27th. Yorkville Ives assumed coverage on Rivian Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $20.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Rivian Automotive from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 target price on Rivian Automotive in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.50.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Rivian Automotive

Rivian Automotive Trading Up 6.2%

Shares of RIVN opened at $12.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $14.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.50. Rivian Automotive has a twelve month low of $11.38 and a twelve month high of $22.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.40 and a beta of 1.62.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The electric vehicle automaker reported ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.64) by $0.16. Rivian Automotive had a negative net margin of 45.88% and a negative return on equity of 73.38%. The company had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted ($1.08) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 38.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Rivian Automotive will post -2.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Rivian Automotive

In other Rivian Automotive news, insider Michael John Callahan sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $225,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,001,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,026,640. This represents a 1.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Claire McDonough sold 13,144 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.50, for a total transaction of $190,588.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 827,201 shares in the company, valued at $11,994,414.50. This represents a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 51,167 shares of company stock valued at $788,306. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rivian Automotive by 31.9% during the third quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 61,004 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $913,000 after acquiring an additional 14,737 shares during the last quarter. VCI Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Rivian Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at about $811,000. Traynor Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Rivian Automotive by 30.8% in the 3rd quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc. now owns 17,646 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 4,160 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Rivian Automotive by 22.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,970,637 shares of the electric vehicle automaker’s stock valued at $29,441,000 after purchasing an additional 356,540 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Rivian Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at about $327,000. 66.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Rivian Automotive News

Here are the key news stories impacting Rivian Automotive this week:

Positive Sentiment: Rivian reported third-quarter revenue of approximately $2.15 billion, up 38.3% year over year and ahead of the roughly $2 billion analyst estimate. Its adjusted loss of $0.48 per share was narrower than the expected $0.64–$0.65 loss, supported by higher deliveries, software revenue and improved gross profit. Rivian third-quarter earnings beat estimates
Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year outlook for vehicle deliveries, adjusted pre-tax earnings and capital expenditures. The R2 SUV became Rivian’s best-selling vehicle in the quarter, strengthening the investment case for its planned higher-volume, more affordable model. Rivian raises full-year guidance on Q3 revenue beat
Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment included a Jefferies upgrade from Hold to Buy with a $17 target, while Piper Sandler maintained an Overweight rating and $20 target, arguing that the prior selloff had gone too far. Options activity was also bullish-leaning, with call volume 39% above typical levels. Piper Sandler’s $20 Target Says Rivian’s Selloff Went Too Far
Neutral Sentiment: Rivian expanded its $5.8 billion Volkswagen joint venture to include an AI assistant and separately acquired Third Dimension AI to support driver-assistance technology. These initiatives could improve future software and autonomy revenue, although the near-term financial benefit remains unclear. Rivian expands joint venture with VW to include AI assistant
Negative Sentiment: Analysts were not uniformly bullish: Cantor Fitzgerald cut its target from $19 to $16 and retained a Neutral rating, while Needham reduced its target from $23 to $18 despite keeping a Buy rating. Rivian also remains deeply unprofitable, with heavy cash burn and negative margins, leaving execution of the R2 ramp critical.

About Rivian Automotive

(Get Free Report)

Rivian Automotive, Inc is an electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops and produces all-electric trucks, sport utility vehicles and commercial delivery vans. The company focuses on vehicles intended for outdoor recreation, everyday transportation and fleet use, combining battery-electric powertrains with software and connected-vehicle technologies.

Rivian’s consumer vehicle lineup includes the R1T pickup truck and R1S sport utility vehicle. The company also develops electric commercial vans for business and delivery fleets, including vehicles produced through its relationship with Amazon.