Why Pony AI Stock Tanked On Q2 Earnings And Why The Dip Is Worth Buying

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash


Pony AI Inc (Nasdaq: PONY) says its top-line soared 76% on a year-over-year basis as robotaxi fare-charging revenues more than quadrupled in the second quarter (Q2).

On Tuesday, the company disclosed aggressive progress in scaling its Gen-7 robotaxi fleet as well. Still, the autonomous driving technology stock is down roughly 10% at the time of writing.

However, for long-term investors, the post-earnings weakness in PONY stock may have created a compelling entry point into a business that’s accelerating toward scalable commercialisation.  


Why Pony AI stock tanked on Q2 earnings?

PONY shares are slipping this morning primarily because the company saw its operating expenses increase by 75% year-on-year basis, resulting in wider-than-expected net loss of some $53 million in Q2.

Investors may also be responding to negative free cash flow of nearly $35 million in the autonomous vehicle company’s second quarter – indicating continued cash burn.

Plus, the decline in Robotruck revenues (down 10%) may have raised concerns about segment diversification.

However, these seemingly concerning numbers mostly reflect short-term pressure; they’re largely a result of strategic investments in Gen-7 scaling and global expansion – not operational weakness.

This makes the post-earnings decline in Pony AI stock today rather unfair and overdone.


Should you buy PONY shares on post-earnings decline?

Despite headline losses, Pony AI’s second-quarter release was packed with bullish signals.

The company’s Gen-7 Robotaxi production is accelerating, with 213 vehicles already built and operations launched in all four tier-one cities in China.

Fare-charging robotaxi revenues surged over 300% as well, validating the monetization model.

Gross margin flipped from negative to 16.1%, driven by cost efficiencies in remote assistance and insurance.

Licensing and applications revenue soared 902%, fueled by demand for autonomous domain controllers.

In Q2, the robotaxi firm also expanded its footprint in Dubai, South Korea, and even Luxembourg, reinforcing its global ambitions – further making PONY stock worth buying on the post-earnings dip.


How Wall Street recommends playing Pony AI shares in 2025

According to James Peng, the chief executive of Pony AI, “we are driving strongly toward positive unit economics and accelerating our multi-year growth trajectory.”

And the Wall Street analysts seem to share his optimism. According to the Wall Street Journal, the consensus rating on Pony AI shares currently sits at “buy” with the average price target of roughly $21, indicating potential upside of well over 50% from current levels.

In short, while PONY losses are real, they’re strategic, tied to scaling infrastructure and expanding market reach.

The company’s ability to operate fully-driverless Robotaxis in extreme weather and across diverse geographies sets it apart.

With strategic partnerships like the one in Shenzhen and regulatory wins across Asia and Europe, Pony AI sure is laying the groundwork for long-term dominance.

Therefore, the market’s knee-jerk reaction to short-term losses misses the forest for the trees.

For investors who believe in autonomous mobility’s future, Pony AI’s dip is not a red flag – it’s a green light.


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Danny Straus 1 month ago Member's comment
When you claim that the post-earnings decline in Pony AI stock today are rather unfair and overdone. At least base your opinion on facts: Claim: short-term pressure; they’re largely a result of strategic investments in Gen-7 scaling… and global expansion No, these investments were initiated mid June, after Gen-7 announcement (and therefore these costs do not impact Q2). Global expansion to the country of Luxembourg? Is entering into a pilot, in a country with a $41 million nation-wide taxi market is a sign of overseas ambitions? I hope not. Also, similar to the Seoul announcement, it was a rehash from Q1 earnings call. Claim: - not operational weakness A decline in revenue in a market that is about to explode is very much a sign of operational weakness. note: Pony’s Chinese competitors are tripling in revenue.
Kurt Benson 1 month ago Member's comment
YoY smoke, QoQ fire. Yes, total revenue +76% YoY and Robotaxi +158% YoY. But the paid Robotaxi line fell sequentially: -13% QoQ. That’s the line investors are paying a premium for. Scaling Gen-7” ≠ monetization. Production numbers, without deployment that's just inventory. Also these numbers are not Q2 numbers but * till Aug 11 numbers. Why dit management not disclose rides, utilization, or net fare to explain why paid Robotaxi declined despite more cars? It's China footprint is still narrow. "All 4 tier-1 cities” sounds nice, but it masks the geo-fenced and time-limit slivers. That doesn’t seem justify a broad-based revenue ramp just yet. Overseas “expansion” won’t fund 2025. Dubai (MoU was signed on July 6) has a plan to begin supervised pilots trials later in 2025 (commercial roll out possibly somewhere in 2026?). The other 2 (Luxembourg, Seoul) are rehashed "Q2" pilot announcements (already announced in $PONY Q1 earnings call).