Lemonade Will Insure Tesla’s Self-Driving Cars. Does That Make LMND a Robotaxi Stock to Buy?

Core Insights - Lemonade has announced a new insurance policy for self-driving cars, starting with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, leading to a significant stock market reaction with LMND shares increasing by 9% on January 21 and 13% on January 22 [1] - The company promises to reduce per-mile insurance rates by approximately 50% with FSD enabled, based on data showing a substantial decrease in accident rates when FSD is engaged [2] - Lemonade expects its insurance premiums to continue decreasing as Tesla enhances its FSD software, betting that improved autonomy will lead to lower risk assessments for policyholders [2] Company Overview - Lemonade is a tech-enabled insurance company that offers various insurance products, including auto insurance, and utilizes AI, automation, and behavioral economics to differentiate itself from traditional insurers [4] - The company has a market capitalization of around $7 billion and is based in New York [4] - LMND stock has risen by 181% over the past year, trading around $93 per share, close to its high of $99.90, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index [5] Valuation Insights - Despite the impressive stock performance, Lemonade remains unprofitable, trading at 10.35 times sales and over 13 times book value, which are valuations that exceed those of traditional insurance companies [6] - The unique business model of Lemonade, powered by AI underwriting and a rising loss ratio, presents a different case compared to conventional insurers [6]