Astera Labs Option Alert: Jul 18 $75 Calls Sweep (187) near the midpoint: 456 vs 2045 OI; Earnings 8/5 After Close 

Astera Labs Option Alert: Jul 18 $75 Calls Sweep (187) near the midpoint: 456 @ $19.466 vs 2045 OI; Earnings 8/5 After Close Ref=$93.75

Astera Labs Option Alert: Jan 16 $90 Calls Sweep (187) near the midpoint: 456 vs 724 OI; Earnings 8/5 After Close 

Astera Labs Option Alert: Jan 16 $90 Calls Sweep (187) near the midpoint: 456 @ $21.608 vs 724 OI; Earnings 8/5 After Close Ref=$93.75

Astera Labs (NASDAQ:ALAB) Azioni

ASTERA LABS INC

Astera Labs

Astera Labs Inc designs and delivers semiconductor-based connectivity solutions for cloud and AI infrastructure. Its Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates semiconductor technology, microcontrollers, sensors, and software to enhance performance, scalability, and data management. The company offers products such as integrated circuits (ICs), boards, and modules, catering to hyperscalers and system OEMs. The company's solutions focus on data, network, and memory management in AI-driven platforms.

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Performance trimestrali imminenti, previsioni degli analisti e possibili sorprese: quali titoli si distingueranno in questa giornata?

Coca-Cola, Marriott e altre 3 azioni da tenere d&#39;occhio oggi

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/14/breakup-rumors-at-kraft-heinz-prompt-speculation-berkshire-hathaway-may-sell-its-stake.html" title="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/14/breakup-rumors-at-kraft-heinz-prompt-speculation-berkshire-hathaway-may-sell-its-stake.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/14/breakup-rumors-at-kraft-heinz-prompt-speculation-berkshire-hathaway-may-sell-its-stake.html</a>

BRK/A

BRK/B

'Breakup rumors at Kraft Heinz prompt speculation Berkshire Hathaway may be selling its stake' - CNBC Pro

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has faced declines in deliveries in<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/eurozone/25/06/45736798/tesla-sales-hit-3-year-low-in-this-european-nation-despite-musks-claims-of-no-demand-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> many European regions</a>, which could be attributed to weaker demand for electric vehicles, calls for boycotts over CEO Elon Musk's political views, or increased competition from other companies in the region.
While many European companies are seeing Tesla take a hit in year-over-year metrics, one country saw Tesla reclaim its position at the top in June.
What Happened: Tesla recently reported<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46221375/tesla-stock-jumps-on-strong-q2-deliveries"> second-quarter deliveries</a> that came in ahead of analyst estimates, which could be the result of a comeback in June that wasn't quite expected.
The United Kingdom is one of several European markets where Tesla struggled during the first half of 2025, as other companies overtook the EV company in terms of market share and delivery figures.
Tesla was fourth among electric vehicle companies for market share in the United Kingdom in May, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as reported by <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2025/07/14/evs-take-35-9-share-in-the-uk-tesla-back-on-top/">CleanTechnica</a>.
Tesla staged a rebound in June, moving back into first place with an electric vehicle market share of 16.1%. Tesla's battery-powered EV market share ranked ahead of VW (7.5%), BMW (7.2%) and Ford (6.4%).
Tesla had deliveries of 7,719 units in the month of June, according to the report, which marked the company's largest monthly volume since March 2023.
The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 ranked as the third and sixth bestselling vehicles overall in the month of June, respectively, when factoring in electric vehicles and traditional automotives.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/06/46105919/byd-beats-tesla-in-europe-never-been-such-a-product-offensive-done">BYD Beats Tesla In Europe: Never Been &#8216;Such A Product Offensive Done&#8217;</a>
Why It's Important: The United Kingdom is one of the larger European markets and Tesla's rebound in the country should not be overlooked.
June electric vehicle market share in the country hit 35.9%, made up of 24.8% for battery-powered and 11.2% for plug-in hybrid EVs. That is up from 28.2% in June 2024, according to the report.
The overall automotive sector was up 7% year-over-year in the month of June, with 191,316 vehicles sold.
With electric vehicles making up a rising proportion of the overall automotive market, the United Kingdom is a key market for Tesla, one it likely can't afford to drop too far down in terms of market share.
The June results show a notable comeback, and investors will be closely watching developments in the United Kingdom and other European countries in the second half of 2025.
TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock is up 0.4% to $314.75 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $182.00 to $488.54. Tesla stock is down 17% year-to-date in 2025.
Read Next: 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46332361/musk-political-push-to-hurt-tesla-stock-71-say-stock-will-fall-in-next-12-months">Musk Political Push To Hurt Tesla Stock: 71% Say Stock Will Fall In Next 12 Months</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Global

TSLA

Tesla Just Staged An Epic Comeback In This Crucial European Market

It seems at times like the noise is never ending. This is especially true if you have not yet employed one of the important survival techniques of the 21st century: Turn off the news channels.
For many years I kept the financial news network on in the office to make sure I did not miss any breaking news. In recent years I have found that it is more comfortable and profitable to miss the breaking news. The need to program 24 hours a day, seven days a week has turned news into noise.
Once I realized some very important facts, I became less enamored of being constantly informed. There is not more bad stuff in the world today. We just televise all of it. There are not more storms than ever before. We just have more people living in areas susceptible to storms thanks to air conditioning. We also have constant coverage of every storm including mandatory interviews of those who lost loved ones. Politicians did not get dumber. We just broadcast their every word to the four corners of the globe on a regular basis.
I can read the news at my leisure and digest it without the verbal assault of opinions and actually think about what I am reading. Less media induced pressure to act now makes better decisions. Calm and profits: A most desirable combination.
That&#8217;s why I developed the Easy Income portfolio. Owning a diverse set of financial instruments and vehicles that are not all correlated with each other can set up streams of consistent cash flow and protect against the worst of the market volatility. We cannot do anything about the gyrations of the financial markets. We can try to structure our portfolio to capture most if not all of the equity markets&#8217; long-term returns with alternative vehicles that are somewhat less volatile.
It has been another solid month for Easy Income subscribers. 15 of our 16 positions are higher on the month. Dorchester Minerals is lower as crude oil prices have fallen a bit once it became clear that, for now, we have avoided Armageddon in the Middle East.
Year to date the average position is up about 1%. That&#8217;s not all that impressive until we add in the average yield of 9%. Now we have a sleepy little double digit return with most of it paid up front in nonreturnable cash. Add in the low beta of .67 and a daily range that is a fraction of that of stocks in the S&amp;P 500 and it becomes clear that if sleepy and reliable cash returns are your goal, the Easy Income portfolio is probably your best vehicle for achieving that goal.
This month rather than going over the same ground we do every month I want to start taking a deeper dive into some of the portfolio&#8217;s holdings to help you understand what we own and how they are helping achieve our income-based returns.
The $70 Billion Market Most Investors Have Never Heard Of There&#8217;s a $70 billion market that most investors have never heard of before. Banks are quietly moving massive amounts of risk off their books through sophisticated instruments that most people couldn&#8217;t pronounce, let alone understand. But here&#8217;s the thing: understanding this market could be the key to unlocking some serious income opportunities.
I have introduced this asset class into our Easy Income portfolio with solid results so far.
Picture this: You&#8217;re a bank CEO sitting on $2 billion worth of corporate loans. Under today&#8217;s regulatory regime, thanks to the fine folks who brought us Basel III after the 2008 mess, you need to set aside $85 million in capital just to satisfy the regulators. That&#8217;s $85 million that could be making you money elsewhere, but instead it&#8217;s sitting there like a lazy house cat.
Now, what if I told you there was a way to keep those loans, keep the customer relationships, keep the interest income, but slash that capital requirement to just $22 million? You&#8217;d probably ask what the catch is.
The catch is simple: you transfer the risk to someone willing to take it off your hands for the right price. Welcome to the world of Significant Risk Transfer securities, or SRTs as the cool kids call them.
A Market Born from Necessity This isn&#8217;t some fly-by-night scheme cooked up in a Manhattan trading pit. This is a mature, sophisticated market that&#8217;s been quietly growing for decades. And in 2024 alone, banks worldwide are on track to issue between $28 and $30 billion worth of these instruments.
Like most financial innovations, SRTs were born out of necessity and nurtured by regulation. Back in the 1990s, banks started looking for ways to share credit risk with investors who actually wanted it. Novel concept, right?
The real action started around 2001 in Europe, where banks began using synthetic risk transfer instruments in earnest. Then came Basel II in 2004, which essentially gave regulatory blessing to the idea that banks could reduce their capital requirements if they could prove they&#8217;d transferred &#8220;significant risk&#8221; to someone else.
Of course, being bankers, they promptly found ways to game the system. The pre-2008 era saw an explosion of Arbitrage Synthetic Transactions (ASTs) that were basically leveraged bets designed to extract maximum profit with minimum actual risk transfer. We all know how that story ended.
But here&#8217;s where it gets interesting: after the dust settled from the financial crisis, the market didn&#8217;t die. Instead, it evolved. The focus shifted from arbitrage to genuine balance sheet management. Banks started using these instruments for what they were originally intended: actual risk transfer.
Europe Leads the Way While American banks were busy explaining to Congress why they needed bailouts, European banks were quietly building the foundation of today&#8217;s SRT market. By 2011, European institutions were issuing Balance Sheet Synthetic Risk Transfer (BSST) transactions as traditional securitization became too expensive and cumbersome.
The Europeans had a few advantages. First, their banking sector is more concentrated: fewer, larger banks that could justify the overhead of sophisticated risk management programs. Second, their regulators actually provided clear guidance on what constituted acceptable risk transfer.
In 2017, the European Banking Authority issued a discussion paper that essentially gave banks a roadmap for structuring these deals. Suddenly, what had been a murky, relationship-driven market became predictable and scalable.
The results speak for themselves. By 2022, European banks were issuing over $200 billion in notional value through these instruments. French banks alone account for more than 30% of the market. Talk about liberté, égalité, and profitability.
How the Mechanics Work Let me walk you through a typical transaction because the mechanics are actually quite elegant.
Start with that $2 billion loan portfolio I mentioned earlier. Under normal circumstances, with a 53% risk weight, our bank needs $85 million in regulatory capital. But here&#8217;s where the financial engineering gets clever.
The bank structures the portfolio into tranches: think of it like slicing a pie. The senior tranche gets 91.5% of the pie and carries only a 15% risk weight. The mezzanine tranche gets 6.5% and gets sold to investors. The first-loss piece, the riskiest 2%, usually stays with the bank.
Now here&#8217;s the beautiful part: after this restructuring, the bank only needs $22 million in regulatory capital instead of $85 million. That&#8217;s a 74% reduction in capital requirements while keeping the same assets and customer relationships.
The investors who buy that mezzanine tranche? They&#8217;re getting paid handsomely for taking on that risk: anywhere from 3% annually for low-risk stuff like residential mortgages to 17% for higher-risk corporate loans. And remember, these aren&#8217;t retail investors buying this paper. We&#8217;re talking about sophisticated hedge funds, insurance companies, and pension funds that understand exactly what they&#8217;re getting into.
The US Market Awakens For years, the U.S. market lagged behind Europe. American banks were focused on other things, like explaining to shareholders why their tech investments weren&#8217;t paying off and dealing with an increasingly hostile regulatory environment.
Then came March 2023, and suddenly everyone remembered why risk management matters. Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and Credit Suisse reminded the financial world that concentrated risks can kill you faster than a heart attack.
American banks woke up fast. JPMorgan, never one to be late to a profitable party, started exploring synthetic risk transfers in a serious way. In April 2024, the bank was reportedly considering two large SRT deals totaling about $2 billion in bonds. By August, they&#8217;d actually executed a $531 million credit risk transfer on adjustable-rate mortgages: the first of its kind from the banking giant.
The Federal Reserve helped things along by clarifying the capital treatment of credit-linked notes in 2023. Suddenly, what had been a regulatory gray area became a legitimate capital management tool.
How Income Investors Can Play This Game Now, you&#8217;re probably wondering how the average income investor can play this game. The short answer is directly; you probably can&#8217;t. These are institutional markets with minimum investments that would make your broker laugh.
But indirectly? That&#8217;s where it gets interesting.
First, understand that this market is creating massive opportunities for the institutions that participate in it. When banks can operate with dramatically lower capital requirements, they become more profitable. When hedge funds and credit specialists can earn 10-15% annual returns on sophisticated credit instruments, they attract more capital and generate higher fees.
Second, this market is reshaping the banking sector in ways that create opportunities for savvy investors. Banks that master SRT techniques can grow faster and more profitably than their peers. They can also weather credit storms better because they&#8217;ve already distributed the risk.
Third, the rise of SRT is creating a new class of yield-focused investment vehicles. While you can&#8217;t buy SRT instruments directly, you can invest in funds and vehicles that specialize in credit risk transfer strategies.
Your Direct Access: The BANX Play Here&#8217;s where it gets practical for income investors. There&#8217;s actually a closed-end fund that gives you direct exposure to this market: ArrowMark Financial Corp (Ticker: BANX).
This isn&#8217;t some obscure fund that nobody&#8217;s heard of. BANX has been around since 2013, originally focusing on community banks before pivoting in 2019 to specialize in exactly what we&#8217;ve been talking about: regulatory capital relief securities.
The fund invests at least 80% of its assets in regulatory capital relief securities, which now comprise 87% of its portfolio. These are transactions where investors receive a premium from banks for assuming credit risk on portfolios of performing loans.
The numbers are compelling. BANX currently offers an 8.5% distribution yield that&#8217;s fully covered by earnings. In Q4 2024, the fund declared not just its regular $0.45 quarterly distribution, but an additional $0.20 special distribution from excess income. That&#8217;s what happens when you&#8217;re earning more than you&#8217;re paying out.
BANX&#8217;s top holdings include regulatory capital relief securities from major institutions like Citibank and Deutsche Bank: the same players we discussed earlier who are leading this market. The fund is essentially giving you a slice of the same deals that sophisticated institutional investors are clamoring for.
The structure makes sense from a risk perspective too. As of September 2023, regulatory capital relief securities comprised 86.7% of the portfolio, with structured debt at 5.8% and term loans comprising the remainder. This is focused exposure to exactly the market we&#8217;ve been analyzing.
Why This Market Has Real Staying Power Here&#8217;s what has me genuinely excited about this market&#8217;s future: it&#8217;s solving real problems.
Banks need efficient ways to manage capital under increasingly complex regulatory regimes. Check.
Institutional investors need access to diversified, high-yielding credit exposures that aren&#8217;t available in public markets. Check.
The real economy needs banks that can lend efficiently without tying up excessive capital in regulatory requirements. Check.
This isn&#8217;t financial engineering for its own sake: it&#8217;s financial engineering that serves legitimate economic purposes. That&#8217;s the kind of innovation that tends to stick around and grow.
The numbers support this view. European SRT issuance has grown from practically nothing in 2011 to over $200 billion in 2022. The U.S. market, starting from a much smaller base, is growing even faster. Global issuance is on track to hit $30 billion in 2024, and there&#8217;s no sign of slowdown.
What&#8217;s Next? Looking forward, several trends are converging to support continued growth in this market.
Basel III Implementation: As capital requirements continue to tighten, banks have increasing incentives to find efficient ways to manage their balance sheets. SRT provides exactly that.
U.S. Market Development: American banks are still early in adopting these techniques. As they get more sophisticated and regulators provide clearer guidance, the U.S. could eventually rival Europe in SRT issuance.
Product Innovation: We&#8217;re seeing expansion into new asset classes: renewable energy projects, trade finance, even green transition lending. This is creating new opportunities for both banks and investors.
Technology Integration: Blockchain and digital infrastructure are making these transactions cheaper and more efficient to execute and manage.
Institutional Demand: As traditional fixed-income yields remain historically low, institutional investors are increasingly hungry for the 5-15% returns that well-structured SRT instruments can provide.
That is all for this month. Next month I will take a deeper look at another of the unique vehicles for income based returns in our portfolio,
Until then, stay boring, stay sane, and stay profitable.

Opinion

BANX

Easy Income Portfolio: July 2025 Update

Centene Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CNC#NYSE">CNC</a>) has dropped over 40% in recent sessions, and the decline may be more than just a market reaction. A closer look through the lens of the Adhishthana Principles reveals structural issues that could lead to prolonged underperformance.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Monthly Chart: A Breakdown That Changed Everything</h3>
Under the Adhishthana framework, stocks typically build a formation called the Adhishthana Cakra between Phases 4 and 8, a structure resembling a channel with an arc. Ideally, the stock breaks out of this channel in Phase 9, initiating a strong rally.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="484" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14053208/CNC-Monthly-Cakra-Breakdown.png" alt="Fig.1 Centene Cakra Breakdown (Source: Adhishthana.com Reports)" class="wp-image-15731" style="width:660px;height:auto" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14053208/CNC-Monthly-Cakra-Breakdown.png 1200w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14053208/CNC-Monthly-Cakra-Breakdown-300x121.png 300w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14053208/CNC-Monthly-Cakra-Breakdown-1024x413.png 1024w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14053208/CNC-Monthly-Cakra-Breakdown-768x310.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fig.1 Centene Cakra Breakdown (Source: Adhishthana.com Reports)</figcaption></figure>
However, Centene broke the Cakra on the flip side, a bearish development that triggers what&#8217;s called the Move of Pralayā in Adhishthana terminology.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;When the underlying breaks the Cākra on the flip side, it typically draws consolidation up to the Guna triads. The movement after the break is typically highly significant, and the selling momentum is extremely strong. Such a move shall be called the Move of Pralayā.&#8221; — Adhishthana: The Principles That Govern Wealth, Time &amp; Tragedy
</blockquote>
Centene is now in Phase 7 on the monthly chart, and based on the cycle, it won't complete Phase 13 (the pre-Guna triad phase) until November 30, 2032. That's a long runway of potential weakness, with little structural support to turn the trend around.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Weekly Chart: Echoes The Same Story </h3>
The weekly structure echoes the same concerns. Centene is currently in Phase 14, the beginning of the critical Guna Triads (Phases 14–16). These phases collectively determine whether the stock reaches Nirvana (its cycle's peak) in Phase 18.
Unfortunately, this recent decline reflects the energy of Tamoguna, the most bearish of the three energies defined in the Adhishthana Principles.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;If the Gūna Triads start from a very strong Tamoguna, there will be no Nirvana in Phase 18.&#8221; — Adhishthana: The Principles That Govern Wealth, Time &amp; Tragedy
</blockquote>
This means Cenetene is unlikely to make any meaningful highs until after October 2028, when the current weekly cycle concludes.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Investor Outlook: Not a Normal Correction</h3>
While some might see this as a routine correction, the Move of Pralayā signals something far more serious. This pattern is typically triggered only when there's a fundamental issue with the underlying stock, and in Centene's case, that concern appears justified. 
The company is currently facing allegations of violating federal securities laws, with the investigation covering the period from December 12, 2024, to June 30, 2025. Notably, this timeframe aligns with when Centene began breaking below its Cakra structure, adding weight to the Adhishthana interpretation and reinforcing the principles.
Even minor rallies in this environment are unlikely to be sustainable. And with the monthly chart also in Phase 7, which typically brings a two-fold bearish sequence (known as the Fall of Arthah and Arthārthi), the downside pressure may persist.
What to do now:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>If you&#8217;re already holding CNC, consider your risk exposure carefully. </li>
<li>New investors should avoid chasing dips, as any upside could be short-lived. </li>
<li>Given the long horizon before potential recovery, CNC may not be a stock worth sticking with right now. </li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Also Read: </h3>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46372872/mongodb-stock-weak-structure-suggests-prolonged-slump">MongoDB Stock Weak Structure Suggests Prolonged Slump </a>Recently, MongoDB also broke its Cakra and triggered a Move of Pralayā. Here&#8217;s what that means for long-term investors.

Equities

Technicals

Signals

Why Centene's 40% Drop Doesn't Necessarily Signal A Buy

Ming Shing Group Shares Halted On Circuit Breaker To The Downside, Stock Now Down -66.9%

Raymond James Finl (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RJF#NYSE">RJF</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 3.35% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 14.76%. Currently, Raymond James Finl has a market capitalization of $31.96 billion. 
Buying $100 In RJF: If an investor had bought $100 of RJF stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $392.42 today based on a price of $158.40 for RJF at the time of writing.
<h3>Raymond James Finl's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1752510613_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much $100 Invested In Raymond James Finl 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

WIIM

Rogers shares are trading lower following the resignation of its CEO and president.

Lucid Group (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LCID#NASDAQ">LCID</a>) stock has faced significant headwinds, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/lucid-motors">plunging over</a> 24% year-to-date. This decline is largely attributed to a confluence of factors impacting the broader electric vehicle (EV) market, compounded by specific concerns related to the Trump administration&#8217;s potential tariff policies and the revocation of EV subsidies.
As a U.S. EV maker, Lucid primarily generates revenue through direct sales of its luxury electric vehicles, including the Lucid Air sedan and the Gravity SUV, sold online and through its Lucid Studios. 
The company operates in a highly competitive landscape, directly vying for market share with established players like Tesla (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), as well as other EV startups such as Rivian (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>), NIO (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NIO#NYSE">NIO</a>), and XPeng (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPEV#NYSE">XPEV</a>), all of whom are focused on the high-performance luxury EV segment.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/06/45774621/lucid-strikes-deal-to-use-us-sourced-graphite-in-future-evs-starting-2028" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucid Strikes Deal To Use US-Sourced Graphite In Future EVs Starting 2028</a>
The overall EV market has experienced a slowdown in sales growth, particularly in key markets like the U.S. and China, where economic uncertainty and rising prices have dampened consumer demand. 
This has led many automakers, especially in China, to resort to price cuts to boost sales, intensifying competition and subsequently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/24/12/42700628/chinas-ev-price-wars-hit-auto-profits-smaller-players-struggle-as-margins-shrink">squeezing profit</a> margins across the industry. 
Even market leader Tesla has not been immune, with its stock down over 22% year-to-date, grappling with production delays, further price cuts, and lingering questions surrounding its self-driving technology. 
Moreover, Elon Musk&#8217;s reported plan to launch a new U.S. political party has raised concerns among investors about his undivided focus on Tesla&#8217;s future amidst falling sales.
Adding to the pressure, investors have become more cautious, shifting away from high-growth sectors like EVs due to rising interest rates and market volatility, now perceiving them as riskier investments. 
Meanwhile, traditional automakers are rapidly scaling up their EV production, further heightening competition and putting immense pressure on smaller, newer players like Lucid. 
The challenges are amplified by rising raw material costs, persistent supply chain issues, and inadequate charging infrastructure, all of which contribute to making EVs less affordable and hindering widespread adoption.
In response to these market dynamics and specifically, concerns over the potential re-imposition of tariffs under the Trump administration, Lucid is offering <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45311264/tesla-rival-lucid-offers-over-20000-discount-on-air-sedan-amid-auto-tariff-impact">discounts of up to $20,000</a> on its Air sedan this May. 
The company anticipates that such Trump-era tariffs could significantly impact its margins, potentially reducing them by 8–15%.
Looking ahead, Lucid has strategic plans for expansion, including entering the midsize EV market in 2026. The company aims to produce 20,000 vehicles by the end of the year and has raised over $1 billion through convertible senior notes to support its ambitious expansion initiatives. 
In a notable move, Lucid acquired assets and hired over 300 former employees from the bankrupt EV trucking startup Nikola Corp through an auction in April. 
Further demonstrating its future product roadmap, Lucid announced on February 26 its intention to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43970188/lucid-prepares-to-launch-affordable-evs-first-midsize-model-could-be-unveiled-as-early-as-this-year-to-take-on-elon-musks-tesla">unveil three midsize EVs</a> later this year or early next year, with production slated to commence in 2026.
These new models, with starting prices around $48,000, are strategically positioned to directly compete with Tesla&#8217;s popular Model Y and Model 3. 
Lucid has already completed advanced engineering on two of these midsize vehicles and is progressing into their development and industrialization phases, seeing this new lineup as crucial for boosting deliveries, expanding its market reach, and fulfilling a portion of its significant fleet deal with Saudi Arabia.
Latest Key Metrics and Quarterly Results
Lucid&#8217;s production increased to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46235023/lucid-reports-q2-production-delivery-numbers-shares-stall">3,863 vehicles</a> in the second quarter, up from 2,212 in the first quarter of 2025. Deliveries also saw a rise to 3,309 vehicles from 3,109 in the previous quarter, although this figure fell short of Reuters&#8217; analyst estimate of 3,611.
Earlier, on May 7, Lucid reported its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45244989/lucid-group-q1-2025-earnings-tesla-rival-announces-58-increase-in-deliveries-plans-to-introduce-a-mid-size-platform-in-2026">first-quarter results</a>, posting $235.05 million in revenue, which missed analysts&#8217; $250 million estimate. 
Despite the revenue shortfall, Lucid showed an improvement in its gross margin, reporting a negative 97.2% on a GAAP basis, a notable improvement compared to negative 134.3% a year earlier. 
During the first quarter, Lucid produced 2,212 vehicles and delivered 3,109, with over 600 additional vehicles in transit to Saudi Arabia for factory gating. The company reaffirmed its full-year 2025 production target of approximately 20,000 vehicles.
Analyst Perspectives
Industry experts and analysts offer mixed views on Lucid&#8217;s prospects. On May 22, Jim Cramer of CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Mad Money Lightning Round&#8221; <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/05/45562808/jim-cramer-rivian-better-than-this-automaker-pan-american-silver-is-the-best-silver-mine">stated a preference</a> for Rivian over Lucid. 
However, on July 4, BNP Paribas analysts suggested that Lucid could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46259390/trumps-tax-bill-could-be-a-boost-for-tesla-rivals-rivian-lucid-amid-ev-slowdown-says-bnp-paribas">potentially benefit</a> from reduced EV competition if President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed tax bill leads traditional automakers like General Motors Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) to scale back their EV plans. 
These analysts believe that, similar to Rivian, Lucid might gain market share as legacy automakers shift focus. They also anticipate a surge in third-quarter deliveries as buyers rush to claim the $7,500 EV tax credit before its potential expiration on September 30.
Lucid&#8217;s stock had previously plunged over 11% after reporting its fourth-quarter results on February 26. Cantor Fitzgerald&#8217;s Andrew Sheppard <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43984093/lucid-stock-falls-on-q4-results-ceo-exit-analysts-see-surge-in-demand-for-gravity-suv">acknowledged improvements</a> in fourth-quarter gross margins and the meeting of the 20,000 vehicle production target, but he highlighted ongoing significant challenges. 
While optimistic about the Lucid Gravity SUV and upcoming midsize EVs for boosting demand and scale, he cautioned about persistent risks including negative margins, capital requirements, and leadership changes, notably the departure of CEO Peter Rawlinson. 
Needham&#8217;s Chris Pierce recognized strong delivery momentum and growing interest in the Gravity SUV but flagged uncertainty tied to Rawlinson&#8217;s departure and emphasized that profitability remains a distant goal given Lucid&#8217;s current scale.
In a broader market analysis, on July 11, JP Morgan analyst Ryan Brinkman named Tesla and Rivian as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46374969/jpmorgan-just-hit-delete-on-tesla-and-rivian">top short ideas</a> for the second half of 2025. 
He cited overvaluation, shrinking subsidies, and a widening gap between market expectations and actual performance for Tesla, predicting a third consecutive year of declining profits and questioning the viability of its robotaxi plans. 
For Rivian, Brinkman pointed to high cash burn, mounting EBITDA losses, and the threat of reduced subsidies and rising tariffs as major hurdles to scaling. Rivian stock is currently down over 4% year-to-date.
Price Action: Lucid stock is trading lower by 0.22% to $2.29 at last check Monday.
Read Next:
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Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
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