Feb 19 - Chinese robotaxi startup Pony AI, Inc. (PONY, Financial) has surged nearly 56% since its November IPO, setting fresh record highs amid mounting retail interest. In January, Deutsche Bank analyst Bin Wang initiated coverage with a “Buy” rating and a $20 price target. Pony AI recently demonstrated its commercial autonomous taxi in Beijing's first self-driving zone within the Economic and Technological Development District. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits has jumped, with a 31% increase in followers over the past month and a staggering 900% surge in message volume over the past week.
Gains are more modest than those of the home country's peers. Baidu (BIDU, Financial) is up 2.4%, and for ride-hailing darling Didi Global (DIDIY, Financial) is just over 1%. In particular, the announcement of Nvidia's stake in WeRide Inc. drew significant interest from its retail consumers, jumping by more than 530%. Pony AI stands out as it is surging ahead of some larger rivals in terms of its retail momentum, analysts say, though those gains have come off greater gains in Chinese AI stocks more broadly.
Pony AI, which is focused on autonomous vehicles, is an attractive long term growth candidate for investors already navigating through the fast changing industry environment and suffering with numerous competitive threats.
