Goldman Sachs·2025-11-27 02:17Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating to Li Auto, indicating a positive outlook for the company's stock performance [7]. Core Insights - Li Auto is positioned well in the NEV market with a 5% market share in China as of 2024, benefiting from improvements in urban NOA performance and a focus on AI, which supports volume growth and margin improvement [7]. - The company has the best net cash position among major Chinese OEMs, facilitating future R&D spending and capital expenditures [7]. - Li Auto's current trading multiples are below historical averages, suggesting potential for upside [7]. - Upcoming catalysts include new model launches and advancements in ADAS and AI technologies [7]. Financial Performance Summary - In 3Q25, Li Auto reported total revenue of Rmb27,365 million, exceeding expectations by 6%, while gross profit missed by 13% due to a one-time recall cost of approximately Rmb1.1 billion [1][5]. - Vehicle sales revenue was 6% higher than expected, driven by a higher average selling price of Rmb278,000, which is a 5% increase compared to the forecast [2]. - The vehicle gross margin was reported at 15.5%, lower than expected due to recall costs, but would have been 19.8% excluding these costs [2][5]. - Total operating expenses were 12% higher than expected, primarily due to increased R&D and SG&A expenses [2][5]. Guidance and Projections - For 4Q25, Li Auto's revenue guidance is set between Rmb26.5 billion and Rmb29.2 billion, which is a 1% increase at the midpoint compared to expectations [1]. - Vehicle sales volume is projected to be between 100,000 and 110,000 units, slightly below expectations by 1% at the midpoint [1].