Should You Invest in NIO Stock Now While It's Still Under $5?

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company NIO Inc.’s NIO shares have been stuck below the $5-mark, trading around $4.60 and well off their 52-week high near $8. For a company that once touched around a $100 billion market cap in January 2021, the low-price tag now raises a question for value-hunting investors: is NIO a value pick now, or is the stock cheap for good reason? Let’s dig deeper.

NIO Product Mix & Deliveries Key Catalysts

NIO's vehicle lineup has grown substantially, spanning the ES6, ET5T, ES8, EC6, ES7, ET5, ET7, EP9, EVE, ET9 and EC7 models, which is translating into stronger delivery momentum.The ES8 has demonstrated strong market momentum since deliveries began at the end of September 2025. On June 22, 2026, cumulative deliveries of the All-New ES8 surpassed 120,000 units, underscoring its strong performance in China's premium vehicle segment priced above RMB 400,000. The launch of ES9 this May boosted the demand trajectory further.

NIO has also broadened its reach beyond its premium namesake brand. The ONVO brand, aimed at the mass market, launched its first model, the L60, in September 2024, followed by the L90 large family SUV in July 2025 and the L80 in May 2026. The Firefly brand, a small, high-end EV line introduced in December 2024, began deliveries in April 2025 and is set to lead NIO's international expansion through a country-distributor model in 2026.

In the second quarter, the company’s deliveries rose 49.4% from the prior-year period to 107,658 vehicles. That growth rate stands out against its closest peers Li Auto LI and XPeng Inc. XPEV. Li Auto (LI) delivered 98,330 vehicles in the June quarter, down roughly 12% from the year-ago period. Meanwhile, XPeng saw its second-quarter deliveries rise to 103,295 units, a modest increase from 103,181 units in the second quarter of 2025.

Vehicle Margins are Improving

Higher volumes and a richer product mix are boosting margins as well. Vehicle margin climbed to 18.8% in the first quarter of 2026, up sharply from 10.2% a year earlier. The ES8 alone accounted for roughly half of that margin improvement, with the model's own vehicle margin running above 20%. NIO has guided for a 17-18% vehicle margin for 2026, a solid step up from the 14.6% reported for full-year 2025.

Technology and Charging Infrastructure Edge

NIO continues to invest heavily in vertically integrated technology, including autonomous-driving software, operating systems and its own chips. Its newer world-model-based ADAS system is also designed to deliver strong performance using only about 20% of the cloud computing power used by competitors. Over time, NIO could potentially monetize these capabilities through subscriptions, creating a higher-margin recurring revenue stream beyond vehicle sales.

Another competitive advantage is NIO’s battery-swap ecosystem. The company has more than 3,900 swap stations and over 28,000 power and destination chargers. Its battery-as-a-service model and extensive power network can make NIO vehicles more convenient to own while strengthening customer retention.

The Risk to Watch

The clearest near-term threat is cost inflation. NIO had already cautioned that rising prices for memory chips, lithium carbonate, NCM battery materials, copper and aluminum are expected to add more than RMB 10,000 per vehicle in costs starting in the second quarter. If commodity prices keep climbing, that pressure could eat into the margin gains NIO has just started to book, complicating its path to sustained profitability.

The Zacks Rundown on NIO Stock

Year to date, shares of NIO have fallen 11%, narrower than XPeng and Li Auto’s decline.

YTD Price Performance Comparison

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, NIO trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.52, in line with the industry and below its own five-year average. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NIO’s 2026 and 2027 bottom line implies a 90% and 195% year-over-year improvement, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Last Word

NIO's story right now is one of accelerating deliveries, a widening multi-brand lineup, improving margins and a differentiated technology— all packaged in a stock trading under $5. The rising input-cost pressure is worth watching, but it comes at a time when NIO's underlying execution—deliveries, mix and margin trajectory—is improving on nearly every front.

So, it’s worth buying NIO stock at current levels. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has a VGM Score of B.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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