Deutsche Bank reiterated a Buy rating on Nio Inc. (NYSE:NIO) Monday, with a 12-month price target of $11.00, after the Chinese electric automaker announced a $2.2 Billion investment deal with Abu Dhabi's CYVN Holdings.
“Our initial view is this move eliminates the near-term overhang around capital runway given sheer size of the deal.” Wrote analysts in a note.
The investment follows July's nearly $740m round (including taking over $350m from Tencent), bringing CYVN's overall stake to 20% and enabling nomination of two directors to the Board.
Analysts had anticipated a cash burn ranging from 11 to 15 billion RMB in the upcoming year, potentially placing NIO in a net debt situation or perilously close to it by the end of 2024. However, this deal is set to offer financial stability until 2025, enabling the launch of two mass market brands and advancing the commercialization of NIO's in-house chip development endeavors.
However, Deutsche Bank believes the deal comes from a position of weakness. The company's stock is at multi-year lows, and its sales performance has been underwhelming. Opting for a highly dilutive capital raise, the management might be hindered from implementing more aggressive cost reductions or strategic maneuvers in the near future.
The analysts foresee the possibility of lower sales volume in the first quarter prompting the management to seek capital in advance. Ultimately, they maintain that the stock's success or failure hinges on the recent sales force initiatives gaining significant traction.
Shares of NIO are up 5.76% in afternoon trading on Monday.