Nio Stock Soars To 1-Year High After $1.16B Share Sale — ES8 Launch Seen As Next Big Test

Nio’s U.S.-listed stock jumped to a one-year high on Wednesday after wrapping up a $1.16 billion share sale, with underwriters taking up their full allotment in a signal of strong backing for the deal.

The company’s shares jumped 6.1% to finish at $7.43, before slipping slightly in after-hours trading. 

The rally extended a rare post-offering rebound, with Nio advancing for five straight sessions in the U.S. after unveiling its financing plan on Sept. 10, which initially sent the stock down nearly 9%.

The offering included the sale of 160.8 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) at $5.57 each, representing Class A ordinary shares, as well as 21 million Class A ordinary shares in Hong Kong at HK$43.36. Underwriters also exercised their option to purchase an additional 27.3 million ADSs. In total, the company issued 209.1 million new shares.

Nio said proceeds will fund research and development of EV core technologies, new technology platforms and vehicle models, expansion of its battery swap and charging network, balance sheet strengthening, and other general corporate purposes.

Attention is now turning to the upcoming launch of the third-generation ES8 SUV, viewed as a critical growth driver after the success of the Onvo L90. Deutsche Bank said dealer checks indicated around 100,000 cancellable pre-sale orders since reservations opened on Aug. 21 at a starting price of 416,800 yuan ($58,630). 

The bank expects Nio to trim the ES8’s final sticker price by 7,000 yuan to 17,000 yuan when it officially debuts at Nio Day 2025 on Saturday. 

The company is planning to ramp up output quickly, with monthly production set to hit 10,000 units in October and 15,000 by December to help meet its fourth-quarter goal of 150,000 deliveries. 

Pre-orders slowed in early September as buyers waited for final pricing, with Deutsche Bank estimating a 10% dip in new orders to 8,300 units during the second week of the month, though demand is expected to rebound after the launch event.

Meanwhile, UBS upgraded Nio to ‘Buy’ from ‘Neutral’ with a price target of $8.50, citing stronger demand for the ES8 and Onvo L90 alongside improved financial flexibility from the share sale. The bank said it expects Nio to achieve free cash flow breakeven by 2026.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Nio was ‘bullish’ amid ‘high’ message volume.

Nio’s U.S.-listed stock has risen nearly 71% so far in 2025.

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