Nio Inc. (NIO) Stock: Why Analysts Just Boosted Price Targets by 57%

TLDR

Table of Contents

Nio expands to Singapore, Costa Rica, and Uzbekistan marking its first Americas market entry in Costa Rica
J.P. Morgan raises price target to $4.80 from $3.06 following strong L90 SUV launch performance
L90 SUV priced at RMB 280,000 competes directly with Li Auto L6, XPeng G9, and Xiaomi SU7
New L80 mid-size SUV planned for Q4 2025 or early 2026 depending on L90 demand
Stock up 28% since July and rose 1.9% in premarket Monday after Friday’s 8.1% jump

Nio shares climbed 1.9% in premarket trading Monday following Friday’s impressive 8.1% surge. The Chinese electric vehicle maker announced plans to expand into three new markets while analysts upgraded their outlook on the stock.

The company revealed Monday it will enter Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Costa Rica in 2025 and 2026. Costa Rica marks Nio’s first venture into the Americas market, representing a major expansion milestone for the EV maker.

In Singapore, Nio will partner with Wearnes Automotive, a luxury automotive retailer across the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership will launch in 2026 with Nio’s small, smart high-end EV called Firefly. This represents Nio’s first-ever right-hand drive model.

The Costa Rica expansion involves partnering with Horizontes Cielo Azul Movilidad, the country’s largest electric vehicle distributor. The local partner has a proven track record building Chinese automotive brands to achieve market leadership in Costa Rica.

For Uzbekistan, Nio selected Abu Sahiy Motors as its partner. The local group has strong foundations across logistics, real estate, and automotive sales and services. This partnership marks Nio’s first step into the Central Asian automotive market.

Strong L90 Performance Drives Analyst Optimism

J.P. Morgan analyst Nick Lai raised Nio’s price target to $4.80 from $3.06 per share. The upgrade follows excitement around the company’s new mass-market models under the ONVO brand, particularly the L90 SUV.

Jiangsu XHS account says NIO is busy with L90 deliveries. One leaves and the next arrives.
More interesting is a comment under the video. L90 order expected to deliver in October. #NIO $NIO pic.twitter.com/KUOeooAzje
— CovidNoGood (@CovidNoGood) August 13, 2025

The L90’s pricing surprised the market when it launched. The large 6-7 seater SUV starts at RMB 280,000, or RMB 190,000 with the battery-as-a-service option.

This pricing puts the L90 in direct competition with Li Auto’s L6, XPeng’s G9, and Xiaomi’s SU7. Few rivals exist in China’s large 6-7 seat BEV SUV segment priced below RMB 300,000, giving the L90 a competitive edge.

The stock has surged roughly 28% since July, driven by this L90 excitement. Year-to-date gains remain modest at just 2%, reflecting the volatile nature of EV stocks.

New Models on the Horizon

Nio plans to launch the L80, a mid-size 5-seater BEV SUV, in either Q4 2025 or early 2026. The timing depends on L90 order momentum, with potential delays if demand slows.

Selected Nio models are due for refreshes, including the recently launched ES8 large SUV. The ES9 SUV is expected in Q1 2026.

J.P. Morgan raised Nio’s 2025 and 2026 volume forecasts by 3% and 13% respectively. Higher sales should help improve margins and cut losses in Q4 2025 to about RMB 713 million on a non-GAAP basis.

This still falls short of the company’s break-even target. Lai maintained a Neutral rating despite the price target increase, citing Nio’s volatile track record and competitive EV landscape.

Wall Street maintains a Hold consensus rating on the stock. Three analysts rate it a Buy, seven assign Hold ratings, and one recommends Sell. The average price target of $4.62 implies 3.82% upside potential from current levels.

The initial offering in new markets will feature representative models from Nio, ONVO, and Firefly brands. Executive Chris Chen stated the company is partnering with experienced players who have deep local expertise and extensive distributor networks.

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