The stock price of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID) is facing a significant downturn despite recently announcing a record-breaking second quarter in vehicle deliveries.
As of the market opening on August 13, the stock was trading in the green zone with gains of 4%, valued at $3.02. Overall, the stock has faced bearish sentiments in recent weeks, down over 16% in the last month.
Why LCID is crashing
Indeed, the stock sell-off accelerated on August 5 after Lucid reported its earnings, coinciding with an abrupt market sell-off that overshadowed its positive news. This unfortunate timing meant that even good news couldn’t lift the equity significantly.
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Investors are also worried about broader economic issues. Recession fears, higher inflation, and potential interest rate hikes can all discourage consumers from buying new vehicles, especially luxury electric vehicles like those produced by Lucid.
Additionally, although Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) agreed to provide an additional $1.5 billion in funding, Lucid’s cash runway is still relatively short. This means the company has limited time to achieve its goals before it might need more funding.
Market sentiment has also been influenced by broader industry challenges and competitive pressures. While Lucid saw a short-term boost following its delivery report, the overall EV market’s volatility and Lucid’s ongoing struggle to achieve profitability have weighed heavily on its stock price.
Overall, investors are cautious about holding onto stocks like Lucid’s, which are more vulnerable to economic downturns due to their reliance on consumer spending and luxury market conditions.
Lucid earnings
It’s worth noting that Lucid achieved a new milestone by delivering 2,394 vehicles in Q2 2024, a 22% increase from the previous quarter. This growth follows the company’s efforts to ramp up production and slash prices to boost sales, with the base model of the Lucid Air now starting at $69,900, down from its initial price of around $100,000.
Lucid’s production for the first half of 2024 also reached 3,837 vehicles, setting a path to meet its annual goal of 9,000 units if the momentum continues into the second half of the year.
Despite these positive delivery numbers, the financial performance of the company tells a different story. Lucid reported a net loss of $0.29 per share for Q2, slightly missing analyst expectations of a $0.27 loss. Although the company’s revenue of $200.58 million surpassed the forecasted $190.30 million, it wasn’t enough to offset investor concerns about long-term profitability and sustainability.
In the immediate future, Lucid’s performance in the second half of the year will be critical. Meeting production targets and achieving stronger financial results could help regain investor confidence. Until then, the company faces an uphill battle to stabilize its stock and reassure its stakeholders of its long-term viability.
Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.
