- RBC Capital analyst Joseph Spak maintained Rivian Automotive Inc (NASDAQ:RIVN) with an Outperform and cut the price target from $75 to $62.
- Spak found a sizeable addressable market that is up for grabs as the industry goes electric.
- He liked the segments that Rivian chased. Rivian will initially focus on the NA market, a region he believes is on the cusp of a BEV inflection. Further, ~77% of 2021 U.S. light vehicle sales are trucks, where the Rivian consumer portfolio is focused. Rivian's initial consumer products, the R1T and R1S, are impressive and category-defining.
- He found Rivian's clean sheet approach and tech allows for vehicles as a platform for recurring revenue.
- He noted Rivian's diverse business model and having Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) involvement helped add scale. Amazon allows Rivian to attack the electric last-mile delivery market with a great partner that can provide invaluable feedback. Further, the Amazon order of 100K vehicles by 2025 with an estimated $7 billion value helps provide visibility.
- However, he cut the 2023 production expectations as Rivian will switch to introduce LFP packs and their new in-house Enduro motor and plans to re-rate their plant to allocate 75% of production to the R1, which will require a multi-week changeover.
- Price Action: RIVN shares traded higher by 1.52% at $34.3 on the last check Wednesday.
