Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) vs Li Auto Inc. (LI) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | LI | 16.7% revenue growth vs LCID's -100.0% |
| Quality / Margins | LI | 3.6% net margin vs LCID's -324.7% |
| Stability / Safety | LI | Beta 0.77 vs LCID's 1.29, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LI | -42.8% vs LCID's -55.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | LI | 2.9% ROA vs LCID's -32.2%, ROIC 209.3% vs -98.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Lucid Group is a luxury electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, engineers, and builds premium electric cars and their core technologies. It generates revenue primarily from vehicle sales—with its Air sedan as the flagship product—and secondarily from energy storage systems and technology licensing. The company's key advantage lies in its proprietary EV technology, particularly its industry-leading battery efficiency and powertrain systems that deliver exceptional range.
Li Auto is a Chinese premium electric vehicle manufacturer specializing in smart SUVs and MPVs. It generates revenue primarily from vehicle sales — with additional income from charging solutions, accessories, and software services — though vehicle sales dominate its revenue mix. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extended-range electric vehicle technology that eliminates range anxiety, combined with its premium brand positioning in China's growing EV market.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
LI leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
LI is the larger business by revenue, generating $125.7B annually — 151.3x LCID's $831M. LI is the more profitable business, keeping 3.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LCID's -3.2%. On growth, LI holds the edge at -36.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $831M | $125.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$3.2B | $5.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$2.7B | $4.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$3.2B | -$7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -158.3% | +19.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -4.2% | +2.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -3.2% | +3.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -3.9% | -6.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -100.0% | -36.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -59.8% | -123.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.3B | $35.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.1B | $28.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.83x | 16.00x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 3.73x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 20.46x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 1.68x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 43.69x | 1.80x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 29.53x |
Profitability & Efficiency
LI delivers a 6.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $6 in annual profit, vs $-4 for LCID. LI carries lower financial leverage with a 0.23x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to LCID's 1.20x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), LI scores 5/9 vs LCID's 1/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.8% | +6.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -32.2% | +2.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -98.7% | +2.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -49.2% | +7.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.20x | 0.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$137M | -$49.6B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $998M | $65.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $861M | $16.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -38.44x | 28.54x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LI five years ago would be worth $6,802 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $326 for LCID. Over the past 12 months, LI leads with a -42.8% total return vs LCID's -55.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LI at -9.3% vs LCID's -52.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -10.3% | +2.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -55.0% | -42.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -89.0% | -25.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -96.7% | -32.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -89.9% | +6.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -52.2% | -9.3% |
Risk & Volatility
LI is the less volatile stock with a 0.77 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LCID's 1.29 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. LI currently trades 54.9% from its 52-week high vs LCID's 29.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.29x | 0.77x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $33.70 | $32.03 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.12 | $15.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +29.7% | +54.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.7 | 49.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 6.5M | 3.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LCID as "Hold" and LI as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 44.0% upside for LCID (target: $14) vs 22.9% for LI (target: $22).
| Metric | LCIDLucid Group, Inc. | LILi Auto Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.40 | $21.62 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 15 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Sep 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) | 100 | 10.4 | -89.6% |
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | 100 | 98.45 | -1.5% |
Li Auto Inc. (LI) returned -32% over 5 years vs Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID)'s -97%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) | $5M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | $0.00 | $144.5B | — |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) | -60.4% | -3.4% | +94.4% |
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | -8.6% | 5.6% | +164.8% |
Lucid Group, Inc.'s net margin went from -60% (2019) to -3% (2024). Li Auto Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2019) to 6% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) | -111.7 | -12.09 | +89.2% |
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | -2.12 | 7.54 | +455.7% |
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Lucid Group, Inc. generated $-4B FCF in 2025 (-157% vs 2021). Li Auto Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2024 (+68% vs 2021).
LCID vs LI: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LCID or LI a better buy right now?
Li Auto Inc. (LI) offers the better valuation at 16.0x trailing P/E (3.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) a "Hold" — based on 14 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — LCID or LI?
Over the past 5 years, Li Auto Inc. (LI) delivered a total return of -32.0%, compared to -96.7% for Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID). A $10,000 investment in LI five years ago would be worth approximately $7K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LI returned +6.9% versus LCID's -89.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — LCID or LI?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Li Auto Inc. (LI) is the lower-risk stock at 0.77β versus Lucid Group, Inc.'s 1.29β — meaning LCID is approximately 68% more volatile than LI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Li Auto Inc. (LI) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 23% versus 120% for Lucid Group, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — LCID or LI?
Li Auto Inc. (LI) is the more profitable company, earning 5.6% net margin versus -324.7% for Lucid Group, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LI leads at 4.4% versus -421.4% for LCID. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — LI leads at 20.5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is LCID or LI more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LCID: 44.0% to $14.40.
06Which pays a better dividend — LCID or LI?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is LCID or LI better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Li Auto Inc. (LI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.77)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LI: +6.9%, LCID: -89.9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between LCID and LI?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: LCID is a small-cap quality compounder stock; LI is a mid-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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