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Li Auto (LI) to Release Q4 Earnings: What's in the Offing?

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Li Auto Company (LI - Free Report) is slated to release fourth-quarter 2022 results on Feb 27, before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s loss per share is pegged at 19 cents.

For the fourth quarter, the consensus estimate for Li Auto’s loss per share has remained flat in the last 60 days and implies a deterioration of 272.73% from the year-ago reported number.

Q3 Highlights

In third-quarter 2022, Li’s adjusted losses per share of 18 cents were narrower than the consensus estimate of 19 cents. Revenues for the quarter were $1,313 million, up 20.2% year over year on higher vehicle sales.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for China’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer for the quarter to be reported, as it does not have the right combination of the two key ingredients. A combination of a positive Earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Earnings ESP: LI has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Zacks Rank: It currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

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

Factors at Play

Li auto delivered 10,052, 15,034 and 21,233 vehicles in the month of October, November and December 2022, respectively, making a total of 46,319 deliveries for the to-be reported quarter. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, deliveries were up 31.5% from a previous level of 35,221 units. This is likely to have boosted the firm’s revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.

In the last reported quarter, the company’s gross margins slid 10.6 percentage points from the year-ago levels. Persistent commodity cost inflation is likely to have dented Li Auto’s fourth-quarter gross margins as well. Moreover, escalating operating expenses amid the launch of new models and expansion of the company's sales network have been denting profit levels over the past several quarters and the trend is likely to have continued in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Overall, while improved sales are likely to aid upcoming results, high operational and manufacturing costs would have played spoilsport.

Stocks With Favorable Combinations

Let’s take a look at some players from the auto space that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat for the quarter to be reported:

Vroom (VRM - Free Report) will release fourth-quarter 2022 results on Feb 28. The company has an Earnings ESP of +41.67% and a Zacks Rank #3.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vroom’s to-be-reported quarter’s loss and revenues is pegged at 60 cents per share and $256.73 million, respectively. VRM surpassed earnings estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed in the rest, with an average surprise of 1.43%.

CarGurus (CARG - Free Report) will release fourth-quarter 2022 results on Feb 28. The company has an Earnings ESP of +58.49% and a Zacks Rank #3.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CarGurus’ to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at 9 cents per share and $279.28 million, respectively. CARG surpassed earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the other, with an average surprise of 10.56%.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.


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