NIO (NYSE: NIO) announced plans to issue new shares to raise funds after it flagged possible financial stress in its fourth-quarter earnings report.

The electric vehicle (EV) maker announced today that it plans to issue up to 118,793,300 class A ordinary shares in offshore transactions outside the US to non-US persons.

The company currently plans to use the net proceeds from the equity placement for research and development of EV technology and new products, further strengthening of the balance sheet and general corporate purposes, NIO said in an announcement.

NIO cannot guarantee that the share placement will be completed, the company noted.

US-listed shares of NIO fell 6.9% in Thursday's pre-market trading after the announcement.

If the planned new share offering is fully completed, NIO would raise up to $475 million, assuming a trading price of $4 per share.

NIO said in its fourth-quarter earnings report released on March 21 that as of December 31, 2024, its current liabilities exceeded its current assets, but its financial resources would be sufficient to support its operations in the next 12 months.

The company wrote at the time:

We have been incurring loss since inception. We incurred operating cash outflow for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our current liabilities exceeded current assets as of December 31, 2024.

Based on our going concern and liquidity assessment, which considers our business plan including revenue growth, working capital management and the ability to raise funds from banks under available credit quotas when needed, we believe that our financial resources, including our available cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments, cash generated from operating activities and funds from availa-ble credit quotas will be sufficient to support our continuous operations in the ordinary course of business for the next twelve months.

Below is its statement, as the CnEVPost article is being updated.

SHANGHAI, China, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO; HKEX: 9866; SGX: NIO) (“NIO” or the “Company”), a pioneer and a leading company in the global smart electric vehicle market, today announced that it proposes to offer up to 118,793,300 Class A ordinary shares of the Company (the “Placement Shares”) in offshore transactions outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), subject to market conditions and other factors (the “Equity Placement”).

The Company currently plans to use the net proceeds from the Equity Placement for research and development of smart electric vehicle technologies and new products, further strengthening balance sheet as well as general corporate purposes.

The Placement Shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws or be registered in Hong Kong or elsewhere.

They may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

They will not be offered to any members of the “public” (within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong), or in Singapore.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities, in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore or elsewhere, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

This press release contains information about the pending Equity Placement, and there can be no assurance that the Equity Placement will be completed.