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Li Auto Inc.

NASDAQ · Consumer Cyclical
Li Auto Inc.
LI · Auto Manufacturers
$17.91
▲ 0.35 (1.96%)
Data cached · refreshes every 10 min
Mr. Market is currently offering Li Auto Inc. at $17.91.
The business passes only 2 of 7 of Graham's defensive criteria — well below his required standard.
Overall Grade
C
Defensive
F
Enterprising
Profitability F
Gross Profit Margin 18.7%
Operating Margin -0.5%
Net Income Margin 1.0%
Fin. Health B
Years to Pay Off Debt 15.8 yrs
Working Capital vs Long-Term Debt $48.4B
Working Capital $51.7B
Valuation A
Margin of Safety 60.8%
Price-to-Book 0.21x
Cash Flow F
Free Cash Flow -$12.8B
CapEx % of Net Income 374.0%
Owner Earnings $10.0B
2/7
Graham Score
Speculative
Defensive — Graham's strict criteria (P/B, P/E, dividends, stability)  ·  Enterprising — Profitability & cash flow focused, accepts higher valuations for quality
Metric Explanations
What each dimension measures and where the thresholds come from.
Gross Profit Margin
Revenue minus cost of goods sold. Graham's ≥40% threshold identifies businesses with durable pricing power. Note: software and financial companies naturally exceed this; retailers and manufacturers rarely reach it due to their cost structures.
Operating Margin
Profit after operating costs before interest and taxes. A consistent ≥15% operating margin signals a business with real competitive advantages. Capital-intensive industries (airlines, auto, commodities) rarely hit this threshold due to their structural cost base — compare within industry for context.
Net Income Margin
Bottom-line profit as a percentage of revenue. The ≥20% target reflects Buffett's preference for highly profitable businesses. Financial engineering (buybacks, tax optimisation) can inflate this temporarily — look for consistency across multiple years rather than a single strong result.
Years to Pay Off Debt
Total Debt ÷ Net Income. Lower = stronger balance sheet. Important caveat: utilities, telecoms, REITs, and infrastructure companies carry large structural debt by design — their bond-like cash flows service it comfortably at ratios that would alarm Graham. Compare within sector.
Working Capital vs Long-Term Debt
Working Capital minus Long-Term Debt. Negative results are common and expected in capital-return-focused businesses like Apple, Domino's, and McDonald's — where aggressive buybacks and dividends intentionally reduce book equity. This does not indicate financial distress in high-FCF businesses.
Working Capital
Current Assets minus Current Liabilities. Negative working capital can be a deliberate efficiency strategy in businesses that collect cash before paying suppliers (retailers, fast food franchises, subscription businesses). Assess alongside free cash flow generation for full context.
Margin of Safety
How far below the Graham Number the stock trades. Graham required a 33% discount as a buffer against analytical error. However, the Graham Number itself assumes 1960s-era P/E and P/B norms — for modern asset-light businesses it often understates true intrinsic value, making 0% MoS appear misleadingly bad.
Price-to-Book
Market price vs book value per share. Rarely below 1.5x for quality businesses today. Intangible assets (brand, software, patents) don't appear on the balance sheet under accounting rules, making P/B artificially high for asset-light companies. Negative P/B indicates book equity has been reduced by buybacks — common in highly profitable capital-return businesses.
Free Cash Flow
Operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. Buffett's most important metric — cash a business actually generates for its owners after maintaining and growing its asset base. Consistently positive FCF is one of the strongest indicators of a durable, well-run business regardless of accounting profits.
CapEx % of Net Income
Capital expenditure as a share of net income. Low CapEx signals a capital-light business that doesn't need heavy reinvestment to sustain earnings — Buffett's ideal. High CapEx is structurally necessary in manufacturing, airlines, telecoms, and semiconductors. For these industries, a high reading reflects the business model, not poor management.
Owner Earnings
Net Income + Depreciation & Amortisation − Capital Expenditures. Buffett's preferred measure of a company's true annual earning power — what could theoretically be distributed to owners without impairing the business. More reliable than reported EPS because it accounts for the capital cost of maintaining the business.
Market Data
Market Cap $18.3B
Enterprise Value -$47.1B
P/E (TTM) 111.97
Dividend Yield N/A
Exchange NASDAQ
Key Margins
Gross Profit 18.7%
Operating Margin -0.5%
Net Margin 1.0%
Company Info
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Auto Manufacturers
Employees 30728
Country China
Visit website
📖
Full Graham Analysis

Mr. Market is currently offering Li Auto Inc. at $17.91.

The business passes only 2 of 7 of Graham's defensive criteria — well below his required standard.

At $17.91, the stock trades below its Graham Number of $45.71 — suggesting a margin of safety exists.

The margin of safety of 60.8% exceeds Graham's recommended 33% threshold — a rare opportunity.

Trading below NCAV — Graham's deepest value signal. Rare for a quality business; investigate why the market is pricing it this way..

Conclusion: By Graham's standards, this stock is speculative at its current price. The intelligent investor would look elsewhere or wait.

About Li Auto Inc.

Li Auto Inc. operates in the energy vehicle market in the People's Republic of China. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and sells premium smart electric vehicles. Its product line comprises multi-purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles. The company offers sales and after sales management, and technology development and corporate management services, as well as manufacturing equipment. It offers its products through online and offline channels. The company was formerly known as Leading Ideal Inc. and changed its name to Li Auto Inc. in July 2020. Li Auto Inc. was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Showing Key Metrics
Income Highlights
Metric 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
Gross Profit % 18.7% ▼ 20.5% 22.2% 19.4% N/A
Operating Margin % -0.5% ▼ 4.9% 6.0% -8.1% N/A
Net Income % 1.0% ▼ 5.6% 9.5% -4.4% N/A
Diluted EPS 1.08 ▼ 7.58 11.10 -2.08 N/A
Balance Sheet Highlights
Metric 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
Total Assets $154.3B $162.3B $143.5B $86.5B N/A
Total Debt $17.8B ↑ $16.3B $13.5B $12.3B N/A
Working Capital $51.7B ▼ $57.1B $41.8B $39.6B N/A
Years to Pay Debt 15.84 2.03 1.16 -6.09 N/A
Cash Flow Highlights
Metric 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
Free Cash Flow -$12.8B ▼ $8.2B $44.2B $2.3B N/A
Owner Earnings $10.0B $18.8B $20.0B $4.3B N/A
CapEx % of Net Income 374.0% 96.2% 55.6% N/A N/A
These metrics estimate what Li Auto Inc. is worth based on its fundamentals — independent of what the market currently prices it at. Graham's Fair Value and NCAV are conservative floors rooted in 1930s–60s principles. EPV assumes zero growth. None are price targets — they are reference points for judging whether the current price offers a margin of safety.
Graham's Fair Value
$45.71
Margin of Safety
60.8%
Market Cap ÷ Company Value
1.04
P/B Ratio
0.21
Warren's Owner Earnings
$10.0B
Latest fiscal year
Graham's 7 Criteria
Defensive Investor Checklist
2/7 — Speculative Investor
✅ Adequate Size
$112.3B
vs > $1.5B revenue
❌ Strong Financial Condition
1.81x
vs Current Ratio > 2.0x
❌ Earnings Stability
1 loss years (4 yrs data)
vs No negative EPS years
❌ Dividend Record
No dividend
vs Uninterrupted dividends
❌ Earnings Growth
-90.3% EPS growth
vs > 33% EPS growth
❌ Moderate P/E Ratio
112.0x
vs P/E ≤ 15.0x
✅ Moderate Price-to-Book
0.21x P/B (P/E×P/B: 23.3)
vs P/B ≤ 1.5x | P/E × P/B ≤ 22.5
Graham's 7 Criteria — Explained
What each criterion measures and why it may or may not apply to modern businesses.
✅ Adequate Size — $112.3B vs > $1.5B revenue
Graham required companies large enough to withstand economic downturns. This threshold ($1.5B) is inflation-adjusted from Graham's original $100M — virtually all S&P 500 companies pass this today.
"The minimum size of an enterprise should be not less than $100 million of annual sales."
❌ Strong Financial Condition — 1.81x vs Current Ratio > 2.0x
Current assets must be at least twice current liabilities. Note: highly profitable companies (Apple, Domino's) often run negative or low working capital deliberately — they collect cash fast and stretch payables. A failing score here is not always a warning sign.
"For industrial companies, current assets should be at least twice current liabilities."
❌ Earnings Stability — 1 loss years (4 yrs data) vs No negative EPS years
Graham required uninterrupted positive earnings. Any loss year is a red flag for defensive investors. Growth companies and cyclicals may show occasional losses during investment cycles or downturns without being fundamentally unsound.
"The company should have shown no deficit in the past ten years."
❌ Dividend Record — No dividend vs Uninterrupted dividends
Graham valued dividends as evidence of financial discipline and shareholder alignment. Many excellent modern businesses (Alphabet, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway) pay no dividend, preferring to reinvest cash at high rates of return. Failing this criterion does not indicate a poor business — it may indicate a high-growth one.
"Some current dividend payments — for at least the past 20 years."
❌ Earnings Growth — -90.3% EPS growth vs > 33% EPS growth
EPS grew from $11.10 to $1.08 over 2 years. Graham's 33% threshold was set over a 10-year period. Measured over fewer years (as here), the bar is proportionally lower. Share buybacks can also inflate EPS growth without reflecting underlying business improvement.
"A minimum increase of at least one-third in per-share earnings over ten years."
❌ Moderate P/E Ratio — 112.0x vs P/E ≤ 15.0x
Graham's 15x P/E threshold was calibrated to 1960s market averages when interest rates were higher. Today's lower rate environment structurally supports higher multiples — the S&P 500 long-run average P/E is now closer to 20–25x. A stock trading at 20x is not automatically speculative in the modern context.
"The price-earnings ratio should be no more than 15 times average earnings."
✅ Moderate Price-to-Book — 0.21x P/B (P/E×P/B: 23.3) vs P/B ≤ 1.5x | P/E × P/B ≤ 22.5
Graham's 1.5x P/B threshold made sense when most company value was tangible. Today, intangible assets — brand, software, patents, network effects — rarely appear on the balance sheet. A high P/B in tech, pharma, or consumer brands often reflects intangible value, not overvaluation. P/FCF or EV/EBITDA are more reliable for asset-light businesses.
"The price should not be more than 1½ times book value. P/E × P/B ≤ 22.5."
Net Current Asset Value
$40.40
Trading below NCAV — Graham's deepest value signal. Rare for a quality business; investigate why the market is pricing it this way.
"Buy at two-thirds of net current assets." — Graham
Earnings Power Value
$-6.85
Per share, no-growth floor. Compare to current price.
Cash Flow Analysis
Metric 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
Capital Expenditure % of Net Income 374.0% 96.2% 55.6% N/A N/A
Repurchase of Capital Stock N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Free Cash Flow -$12.8B ▼ $8.2B ▼ $44.2B ▲ $2.3B • N/A •
Warren's Owner Earnings $10.0B $18.8B $20.0B $4.3B N/A
Peers & Industry Comparison
Auto Manufacturers — Auto-detected peers
Company Price Market Cap P/E Gross Margin Net Margin Revenue
LI $17.91 $18.3B 111.97 18.7% 1.0% $112.3B
TSLA
Tesla, Inc.		 $392.83 $1,475.2B 360.4 19.1% 3.9% $97.9B
F
Ford Motor Company		 $11.53 $46.2B N/A 7.1% -3.2% $189.9B
GM
General Motors Company		 $75.73 $68.3B 27.6 11.1% 1.4% $184.6B
TM
Toyota Motor Corporation		 $188.35 $223.0B 10.6 17.6% 7.3% $50,450.8B
STLA
Stellantis N.V.		 $7.11 $20.6B N/A 5.8% -13.9% $155.8B
"The management of a business is its most important single factor — more important than market position, patents, or financial structure."
— Benjamin Graham
Capital Allocation & Alignment
Insider Ownership
0.01%
Low — management has little skin in the game
Return on Equity (ROE)
1.5%
Weak — poor returns on equity
Return on Assets (ROA)
0.7%
Poor — assets are not generating adequate returns
Debt Trend YoY
+9.0% YoY
Debt is roughly stable
Leadership Team
Donghui Ma
President & Executive Director
Age 50
Tie Li
CFO & Executive Director
Age 47
Xiang Li
Founder, Executive Chairman & CEO
Age 44
Pay: $280,860
0.025% of net income
Liangjun Zou
Senior Vice President
Age 47
Top Institutional Holders
Institution % Owned Shares
Renaissance Technologies, LLC 0.83% 7,441,839
Xiamen Xinweidachuang Investment Partnership (limited Partnership) 0.55% 4,926,165
Morgan Stanley 0.32% 2,915,832
SIH Partners, LLLP 0.24% 2,199,063
UBS Group AG 0.23% 2,031,101
American Century Companies Inc 0.17% 1,555,392
Susquehanna International Group, LLP 0.17% 1,500,596
Citigroup Inc. 0.15% 1,317,667
Risk Analysis
Beta (Market Risk)
0.62
Low volatility — more stable than the market
Short Interest
4.1% of float
Low short interest — market is not heavily bearish
Debt-to-Equity
0.24x
Conservative balance sheet — low financial risk
Current Ratio
1.81x
Adequate liquidity
52-Week Price Range
Low: $15.71 Current: $17.91 High: $32.02
Currently at 14% of 52-week range

Li Auto Inc. (LI) fundamental analysis — Overall grade C based on profitability, financial health, valuation and cash flow. Graham's Fair Value: $45.71. Margin of safety: 60.8%. Gross profit margin: 18.7%. Operating margin: -0.5%. Net margin: 1.0%. Market cap: $18.3B. Sector: Consumer Cyclical. Industry: Auto Manufacturers. Analysis powered by 360investing — free fundamental stock analysis based on Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett principles.

Disclaimer: 360investing is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. All data is sourced from public third-party providers and may be delayed, inaccurate, or incomplete. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Analysis, scores, and valuations are algorithmic and do not represent professional investment recommendations. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decision. Use of this tool constitutes acceptance that 360investing and its operators bear no liability for decisions made based on information presented here.

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