Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Li Auto Inc. (LI) vs ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) 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 | ZK | 46.9% revenue growth vs LI's 16.7% |
| Value | ZK | Lower P/E (2.3x vs 3.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | LI | 3.6% net margin vs ZK's -3.7% |
| Stability / Safety | ZK | Beta 0.68 vs LI's 0.77 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ZK | -0.4% vs LI's -42.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | LI | 2.9% ROA vs ZK's -5.4% |
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
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.
Zeekr Intelligent Technology is a premium electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, produces, and sells battery electric passenger cars and SUVs. It generates revenue primarily from vehicle sales—including its flagship Zeekr 001 and 009 models—alongside sales of electric powertrain components and battery packs. The company benefits from its vertical integration with parent company Geely's manufacturing scale and its focus on the premium segment of China's rapidly 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
ZK leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). LI leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
LI and ZK operate at a comparable scale, with $125.7B and $90.6B in trailing revenue. LI is the more profitable business, keeping 3.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ZK's -3.7%. On growth, ZK holds the edge at +36.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $125.7B | $90.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $5.4B | -$2.7B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $4.5B | -$3.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$7.7B | $0 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +19.4% | +18.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.3% | -4.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.6% | -3.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -6.1% | +2.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -36.5% | +36.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -123.3% | +83.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $35.3B | $6.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $28.1B | $14.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 16.00x | -0.98x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 3.73x | 2.26x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 20.46x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.68x | 0.09x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.80x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 29.53x | 4.61x |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +6.2% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.9% | -5.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.1% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +7.8% | — |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.23x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$49.6B | $7.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $65.9B | $7.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $16.3B | $15.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 28.54x | -14.40x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ZK five years ago would be worth $9,459 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,802 for LI. Over the past 12 months, ZK leads with a -0.4% total return vs LI's -42.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ZK at -1.8% vs LI's -9.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +2.0% | — |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -42.8% | -0.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -25.5% | -5.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -32.0% | -5.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.9% | -5.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -9.3% | -1.8% |
Risk & Volatility
ZK is the less volatile stock with a 0.68 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LI's 0.77 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ZK currently trades 80.2% from its 52-week high vs LI's 54.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.77x | 0.68x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $32.03 | $33.32 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $15.71 | $17.91 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +54.9% | +80.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 49.4 | 40.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 3.5M | 0 |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LI as "Hold" and ZK as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 24.4% upside for ZK (target: $33) vs 22.9% for LI (target: $22).
| Metric | LILi Auto Inc. | ZKZEEKR Intelligent… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $21.62 | $33.25 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 15 | 2 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +2.7% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jun 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | 100 | 80.92 | -19.1% |
| ZEEKR Intelligent T… (ZK) | 90.66 | 94.52 | +4.3% |
ZEEKR Intelligent T… (ZK) returned -5% over 5 years vs Li Auto Inc. (LI)'s -32%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | $0.00 | $144.5B | — |
| ZEEKR Intelligent T… (ZK) | $3.2B | $75.9B | +2283.4% |
Li Auto Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2018) to $144.5B (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | -8.6% | 5.6% | +164.8% |
| ZEEKR Intelligent T… (ZK) | 3.3% | -8.5% | -360.1% |
Li Auto Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2019) to 6% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Auto Inc. (LI) | -2.12 | 7.54 | +455.7% |
| ZEEKR Intelligent T… (ZK) | 0.42 | -27.3 | -6600.0% |
Li Auto Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.12 (2018) to $7.54 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Li Auto Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2024 (+68% vs 2021). ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited generated $1B FCF in 2024 (+1615% vs 2021).
LI vs ZK: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LI or ZK 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 ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) a "Buy" — based on 2 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 has the better valuation — LI or ZK?
On forward P/E, ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited is actually cheaper at 2.3x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LI or ZK?
Over the past 5 years, ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) delivered a total return of -5.4%, compared to -32.0% for Li Auto Inc. (LI). A $10,000 investment in ZK five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LI returned +6.9% versus ZK's -5.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — LI or ZK?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) is the lower-risk stock at 0.68β versus Li Auto Inc.'s 0.77β — meaning LI is approximately 13% more volatile than ZK relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — LI or ZK?
Li Auto Inc. (LI) is the more profitable company, earning 5.6% net margin versus -8.5% for ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited — 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 -8.5% for ZK. 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.
06Is LI or ZK more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) trades at 2.3x forward P/E versus 3.7x for Li Auto Inc. — 1.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ZK: 24.4% to $33.25.
07Which pays a better dividend — LI or ZK?
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.
08Is LI or ZK better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.68)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ZK: -5.4%, LI: +6.9%), 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.
09What are the main differences between LI and ZK?
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: LI is a mid-cap deep-value stock; ZK is a small-cap quality compounder 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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