Stock Market Today, March 31: Nio Jumps on Optimism for Strong Q1 Sales After First-Ever Quarterly Profit

Nio (NIO +9.44%), a smart electric vehicle maker, closed Tuesday at $6.03, up 9.44%. The stock advanced on strong technical momentum, optimism around March deliveries, and Nio’s first-ever quarterly profit. Investors are now watching to see if tomorrow’s March delivery numbers point toward sustainable earnings power.

Trading volume reached 70.1 million shares, about 48% above its three-month average of 47.4 million shares. Nio IPO’d in 2018 and has fallen 9% since going public.

How the markets moved today

S&P 500 (^GSPC +2.91%) gained 2.92% to finish Tuesday at 6,529, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +3.83%) climbed 3.83% to close at 21,591. Among auto manufacturers, Tesla (TSLA +4.52%) closed at $371.8, up 4.65%, while BYD (BYDDY +2.56%) finished at $13.64, rising 2.63%.

What this means for investors

After Nio reported its first quarterly profit earlier this month, investors are positioning for a strong March delivery report expected tomorrow. After record monthly deliveries to end 2025, Nio’s sales have been off to a strong start in 2026 as well. EV deliveries increased 77% in the first two months of the year compared to the year-ago period.

The China-based company has been expanding internationally, and its first Nio House in Costa Rica marked its entry into Latin America. Nio’s European expansion helped it post its first-ever quarterly profit in Q4. At the time, the company also predicted Q1 2026 deliveries of between 80,000 and 83,000 units.

At the midpoint, that would mean investors should expect March deliveries of about 33,500. If it beats that mark, the stock’s rally could continue.

Howard Smith has positions in Nio and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.