Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (PSNY) vs NIO Inc. (NIO) 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 | NIO | 18.2% revenue growth vs PSNY's -14.5% |
| Quality / Margins | NIO | -35.0% net margin vs PSNY's -89.0% |
| Stability / Safety | NIO | Beta 0.91 vs PSNY's 1.34 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PSNY | +20.4% vs NIO's +5.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NIO | -24.3% ROA vs PSNY's -62.4%, ROIC -55.2% vs -109.3% |
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
Polestar is a premium electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops, and sells high-performance electric cars. It generates revenue primarily through vehicle sales—with its Polestar 2 sedan as the current volume driver—and through future planned models like the Polestar 3 SUV and Polestar 4 coupe SUV. The company benefits from its strategic partnership with Volvo Cars and Geely, which provides manufacturing expertise, shared technology platforms, and established distribution networks.
NIO is a Chinese premium electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops, and sells smart electric cars along with a comprehensive ecosystem of charging and service solutions. The company generates revenue primarily from vehicle sales—including SUVs and sedans—and secondarily from its innovative battery-as-a-service (BaaS) subscription model and energy solutions like its unique battery swap stations. NIO's key competitive advantage lies in its premium brand positioning, integrated user ecosystem—featuring its exclusive NIO Houses and mobile app community—and its pioneering battery swap technology that addresses range anxiety through rapid battery replacement.
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
PSNY leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). NIO leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NIO is the larger business by revenue, generating $69.4B annually — 27.2x PSNY's $2.6B. NIO is the more profitable business, keeping -35.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PSNY's -89.0%. On growth, PSNY holds the edge at +24.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.6B | $69.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$2.4B | -$23.0B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$2.3B | -$24.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$1.5B | $0 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -32.5% | +10.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -95.8% | -32.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -89.0% | -35.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -57.7% | -25.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +24.2% | +9.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -115.4% | +7.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.1B | $10.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.4B | $12.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -24.00x | -3.03x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.05x | 1.06x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 5.08x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NIO scores 3/9 vs PSNY's 1/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -3.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -62.4% | -24.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -109.3% | -55.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | -41.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 2.50x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.3B | $14.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $739M | $19.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.0B | $33.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.73x | -25.29x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PSNY five years ago would be worth $23,280 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $979 for NIO. Over the past 12 months, PSNY leads with a +2035.8% total return vs NIO's +5.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PSNY at 63.6% vs NIO's -19.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +17.5% | -5.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +2035.8% | +5.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +337.6% | -48.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +132.8% | -90.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +132.8% | -26.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +63.6% | -19.7% |
Risk & Volatility
NIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PSNY's 1.34 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. PSNY currently trades 99.1% from its 52-week high vs NIO's 60.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.34x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $23.49 | $8.02 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.50 | $3.02 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.1% | +60.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.7 | 54.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 220K | 38.8M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PSNY as "Sell" and NIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 37.6% upside for NIO (target: $7) vs -35.6% for PSNY (target: $15).
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | NIONIO Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Sell | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $15.00 | $6.70 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 5 | 23 |
| 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 | May 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | 100 | 145.3 | +45.3% |
| NIO Inc. (NIO) | 100 | 10.68 | -89.3% |
Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) returned +133% over 5 years vs NIO Inc. (NIO)'s -90%. A $10,000 investment in PSNY 5 years ago would be worth $23,280 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | $92M | $2.0B | +2101.2% |
| NIO Inc. (NIO) | $0.00 | $65.7B | — |
NIO Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $65.7B (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | -2.1% | -100.8% | -4603.9% |
| NIO Inc. (NIO) | -195.1% | -34.5% | +82.3% |
NIO Inc.'s net margin went from -195% (2018) to -34% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | -0.99 | -0.97 | +2.0% |
| NIO Inc. (NIO) | -0.5 | -11.03 | -2106.0% |
NIO Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.50 (2016) to $-11.03 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC generated $-1B FCF in 2024 (-205% vs 2021). NIO Inc. generated $-17B FCF in 2024 (-704% vs 2021).
PSNY vs NIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PSNY or NIO a better buy right now?
Analysts rate NIO Inc. (NIO) a "Buy" — based on 23 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 — PSNY or NIO?
Over the past 5 years, Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (PSNY) delivered a total return of +132.8%, compared to -90.2% for NIO Inc. (NIO). A $10,000 investment in PSNY five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PSNY returned +132.8% versus NIO's -26.2%. 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 — PSNY or NIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), NIO Inc. (NIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC's 1.34β — meaning PSNY is approximately 48% more volatile than NIO relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — PSNY or NIO?
NIO Inc. (NIO) is the more profitable company, earning -34.5% net margin versus -100.8% for Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC — meaning it keeps -34.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NIO leads at -33.3% versus -89.1% for PSNY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NIO leads at 9.9%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — PSNY or NIO?
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.
06Is PSNY or NIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, NIO Inc. (NIO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.91)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NIO: -26.2%, PSNY: +132.8%), 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.
07What are the main differences between PSNY and NIO?
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. 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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