Will Higher Production Volumes of R2 Boost Rivian's Gross Profit?

Core Insights - Rivian Automotive, Inc. reported a gross profit of $206 million in Q1 2025, marking its second consecutive quarter of positive gross profit and the highest gross margin to date, reflecting improved cost efficiency [1][9] - The company expects to receive $1 billion in funding from its joint venture with Volkswagen Group by the end of June [2] - Rivian maintains a positive outlook for the full year 2025, anticipating a quicker path to profitability with the upcoming launch of the R2 model in H1 2026 [3] Financial Performance - Rivian's gross profit increased from a loss of $527 million in Q1 2024 and a profit of $170 million in Q4 2024, driven by lower variable costs, increased revenue per vehicle, and better fixed-cost management [1][9] - Rivian's shares have gained 2.5% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Automotive-Domestic industry, which has seen a decline of 27.2% [7] Competitor Analysis - Tesla reported a gross profit of $3.15 billion in Q1 2025, down from $3.7 billion in the same quarter last year, attributed to declining volumes and discount offers [5] - Lucid incurred a gross loss of $228.5 million in Q1 2025 but showed improvement in gross margin, moving from negative 134.3% to negative 97.2% year-over-year [6] Valuation and Estimates - Rivian is currently trading at a forward sales multiple of 2.37, which is lower than the industry average of 2.62, indicating it may be undervalued [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rivian's EPS has increased by 42 cents for 2025 and 15 cents for 2026 over the past 60 days [12]