Conversely, The Kroger Co. (KR) and NIO Inc. (NIO) have seen their ratings tempered due to valuation and growth hurdles. IWA Research downgraded Kroger to Hold after a significant stock rally, and Summit Research expressed caution on NIO despite its recent profit milestone.

Upgrades

• PepsiCo (PEP): Upgrade Hold to Buy by Bay Area Ideas. The analyst notes that previous tariff headwinds are receding while organic revenue growth and margins are beginning to accelerate.

“I believe the company is well positioned with these new directions, and given how strong the demand for Poppi was from 2020 to 2024, I would say that PepsiCo has a strong growth driver for the coming years. Therefore, in addition to the positive near-term financial guidance laid out above, the long-term prospects seem strong for the company.”

• JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU): Upgrade to Hold by Albert Anthony. The upgrade is driven by a turnaround plan featuring new routes in Florida and Texas and progress in reducing operational costs, though high debt levels remain a concern.

“JetBlue is a case of weaker top-line growth and ROE than some key peers, as well as severe underperformance vs the S&P 500, but a significant route network covering Florida and the Caribbean, in addition to the West coast and other key destinations like Austin…For this reason, I thought it would be fair to at least give it a cautious hold rating.”

Downgrades

• The Kroger Co. (KR): Downgrade Buy to Hold by IWA Research. After a 15% recovery in the stock price, the analyst believes the current valuation reflects most of the potential upside as free cash flow is expected to normalize in 2026.

“Ultimately, KR will always depend on the environment, and there is definitely potential for the current economic conditions to worsen, which can lead to a continued rise of dollar stores and cheaper brands to Kroger’s detriment.”

• NIO Inc. (NIO): Downgrade to Hold by Summit Research. Despite the company reaching its first-ever GAAP quarterly profit, weak delivery numbers in early 2026 and rising input costs raise doubts about the sustainability of its growth targets.

“Sustained delivery weakness observed in the first two months of 2026 across NIO’s three brands remains a key risk overhang. This continues to add pressure to management’s aggressive guidance for 40% to 50% y/y volume growth in 2026 alongside quarterly operating profitability.”

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Analysts Joel Ying and Ethan Zhang saw clear improvement in the company’s financial performance and shipment momentum over the past two quarters, suggesting NIO (NIO) is finally moving into a healthier business cycle. Notably, Nomura expects NIO (NIO) to nearly double shipment growth year over year in Q1 to support a solid start to the year.

Looking ahead, improved operating efficiency and tighter cost control are seen as key drivers of an improved profitability profile. The analyst team also emphasized that three new mid- to large-size SUVs should support further shipment expansion and margin gains.

Nomura’s lowered price target of $6.60 represents 18% upside potential for the EV stock.

For Q4, NIO (NIO) delivered strong top-line growth, with total revenue reaching roughly RMB87.5B for the quarter, supported by higher deliveries and a richer mix of newer models. Vehicle sales were up 65% quarter-over-quarter and were 81% higher than a year ago. Gross profit improved to about RMB11.9B, and gross margin expanded meaningfully versus the prior year, reflecting better vehicle margins and cost-down initiative

Shares of NIO (NIO) fell back 2.2% in premarket trading on Wednesday.

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Notably, the Chinese electric vehicle maker company swung to an operating profit for the first time, with non-GAAP of RMB1.25B. Management highlighted that these Q4 results marked an inflection point from the heavy losses seen in Q4 2024, driven by volume leverage, product mix, and tighter operating expense control.

The company delivered 27,182 vehicles and 20,797 vehicles in January and February, respectively. As of February 28, the company had delivered 47,979 vehicles in 2026, with cumulative deliveries reaching 1,045,571.

“In 2026, we will continue to enhance operational efficiency and optimize cost and deliver stronger, more sustainable performance for our users, partners, and shareholders,” stated NIO (NIO) CFO Stanley Yu Qu. Nio (NIO) expected total deliveries in Q1 to be in the 80K and 83K unit range, representing a year-over-year increase of 90.1% to 97.2%.

Shares of NIO (NIO) rallied 5.3% in premarket trading on Tuesday. XPeng (XPEV) tracked 0.8% higher, while Li Auto (LI) was off 0.4%.

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The EV maker delivered 20,797

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Silver miner Avino Silver & Gold Mines (ASM) leads the list

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Furthermore, NIO achieved 100 million cumulative battery swaps on February 6, 2026, marking a major milestone in its battery swapping model. During the Chinese New Year holiday, battery swap volumes peaked for five days, indicating strong user demand and NIO’s efficient service network.

More on NIO

• NIO: Risks Behind Q4 2025’s Breakeven Guidance
• NIO: The Patient Wait For Consistent Profits
• NIO: A Few Reasons To Believe Breakeven Remains Close
• NIO unit secures RMB2.257B from Chinese investors
• NIO stock jumps as company forecasts first quarterly adjusted profit from operations

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