Rivian Automotive, Inc. — financial distress indicators
Financial-health summary
Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s reported numbers place it in the 'Weak' financial-health band (distress score 65/100). The main indicators are operating profit does not cover interest, losses in each of the last 3 years and material debt with no ebitda. Independently, the Ohlson accounting model puts its 1-year failure probability at 57% and the market-implied (Merton) default probability is 0.2%. In its favour: strong current ratio (2.10).
Stress by dimension
Share price — last 12 months
Indicators behind the score
Each red flag shows the evidence from the company’s own filings and the financial or legal principle behind it. Points add to the 0–100 score.
Interest coverage (EBIT / interest) is -13.28×.
When EBIT < interest, debt service is funded from cash reserves or new borrowing — the classic precursor to payment default and covenant breach.
Net income negative in 3 of 3 fiscal years.
Persistent losses erode equity and the capacity to absorb shocks.
Debt is 35% of assets while EBITDA is not positive.
With no operating earnings, repayment depends entirely on asset sales or fresh capital.
Operating cash flow negative in 3 of the last 3 years.
A business that cannot fund itself from operations depends on external capital to survive.
O-score 0.26 → model probability 57%.
Ohlson (1980) logit model of 1-year corporate failure; O > 0 (p > 50%) is the original failure cut-off.
Cash covers ~18 months of free-cash-flow burn.
Funding needs within two years make the company dependent on capital-market access.
Revenue vs net income
Cash generation
Debt vs cash vs equity
✅ Mitigating factors
- Strong current ratio (2.10).
- High insider/promoter ownership (35%) aligns management with survival.
- Large market capitalisation — strong access to capital markets.
📰 Recent news scan
- Rivian gets $1bn long-term funding from VolkswagenYahoo Finance · 2026-10-08
- Rivian receives full $1 billion Volkswagen funding commitmentYahoo Finance · 2026-10-08
- Did RIVN's Investment Thesis Change After the $1B VWAGY Loan?Yahoo Finance · 2026-10-08
- 2 Negatives Don’t Make a Positive When It Comes to Rivian and VolkswagenYahoo Finance · 2026-10-08
- Rivian Automotive (RIVN) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to KnowYahoo Finance · 2026-10-07
- Rivian Turnaround Falls ApartYahoo Finance · 2026-10-07
⚖️ U.S. legal pathway — Title 11, U.S. Code
Which chapter would apply?
- Chapter 11 — reorganisation. Management usually stays in control as debtor-in-possession; the automatic stay (§362) halts collection; a plan must meet the best-interests test (§1129(a)(7)) and the absolute priority rule (§1129(b)) — creditors are paid before shareholders, who are frequently wiped out.
- Chapter 7 — liquidation. A trustee sells assets and distributes proceeds by statutory priority (§§507, 726).
- Subchapter V (“Chapter 5”) is a fast track for small-business debtors under a statutory debt cap, but SEC-reporting companies are excluded (§101(51D)) — so it rarely applies to listed companies.
What typically triggers a filing
- Payment default or covenant breach lenders will not waive; a debt maturity that cannot be refinanced.
- Auditor going-concern doubt (ASC 205-40 / PCAOB AS 2415) — often itself a default trigger in loan agreements.
- Creditors can force a case with an involuntary petition (§303) if debts are not paid as they come due.
- Delisting after sustained sub-$1 prices or equity deficits cuts off equity funding.
Transactions shortly before filing can be clawed back (preferences — 90 days, §547; fraudulent transfers — 2 years, §548).
Frequently asked questions
What do Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s financial-health indicators show?
As of 2026-10-08, Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s public financial data places it in the 'Weak' band with a distress score of 65/100, driven by operating profit does not cover interest, losses in each of the last 3 years and material debt with no ebitda. This is a statistical screen of reported numbers — it does not mean the company is insolvent, has defaulted or will enter insolvency proceedings.
What is Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s financial distress score?
65/100 ('Weak'). Ohlson O-score 0.26 (model 1-year failure probability 57%). Merton distance-to-default 2.83 σ (model default probability 0.2%).
What works in Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s favour?
Strong current ratio (2.10). High insider/promoter ownership (35%) aligns management with survival. Large market capitalisation — strong access to capital markets.
How are shareholders treated if a company enters insolvency?
In a Chapter 11 reorganisation the absolute priority rule pays secured lenders, then unsecured creditors, before shareholders — so existing shares are usually cancelled or heavily diluted. In Chapter 7 the company is liquidated and shareholders rarely recover anything.
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Methodology
Score = capped sum of rule-based red flags across seven dimensions (liquidity, solvency, profitability, cash flow, sales trend, market signal, news). Ohlson O-score (1980) gives an accounting-based 1-year failure probability; Merton distance-to-default (Bharath & Shumway 2008) gives a market-implied probability. Financial institutions use a capital-based rule set. Recalculated every trading day from the latest filings, prices and news.