Shares of BYD Co Ltd tumbled to roughly a one-year low on Monday, leading a wider decline in Chinese automaker stocks after firms reported softer vehicle deliveries in January and Beijing adjusted subsidies in a way that diminishes support for lower-priced models.
The market reaction highlighted mounting investor anxiety that the sector may be entering a protracted slowdown as household demand cools and policy support becomes less generous. "Investors were likely surprised by the large degree of the domestic decline which implies a sharp market share loss," said Eugene Hsiao, head of China equity strategy at Macquarie Capital. "Overall, we do not expect to see a meaningful turnaround in domestic demand until BYD launches new models with higher value for money compared to rising competitors in the space," he added.
Pressure on automakers is coming from several directions at once: price competition that compresses margins, narrowing technological advantages among rivals, and tempered expectations that export growth can fully compensate for weakening domestic sales.
On Monday, BYD's Hong Kong-listed shares closed down 6.9% at HK$91, the largest one-day percentage drop since May 26, 2025, after trading at their lowest level in about a year during the session. On the mainland, BYD's Shenzhen-listed shares ended down 4.2% at 87.05 yuan after touching their lowest price since September 2024 earlier in the day.
Other manufacturers also suffered losses: peers including Geely, Leapmotor, Xiaomi and Xpeng recorded declines ranging from 1.2% to 6.8%.
Industry forecasts have softened. The China Passenger Car Association warned last month that auto sales are set to stagnate this year, pointing toward the worst performance since 2020, and noted that robust electric vehicle exports in 2025 are unlikely to be sustained.
Policy shifts have compounded market concerns. China extended its car subsidy scheme into 2026 but changed the structure from a fixed subsidy to one linked to new vehicle prices. That adjustment could cut incentives for lower-priced cars, which make up the majority of new vehicle sales in the domestic market.
BYD, which previously gained market momentum from more affordable series such as Dynasty and Ocean, appears to be losing traction in the sub-$25,000 segment to competitors including Geely and Leapmotor as its technological lead softens. The automaker recorded its slowest sales growth in five years in 2025.
January was a particularly weak month for BYD: the company was outsold by Geely Auto after BYD's car sales declined for a fifth straight month. The January performance represented BYD's weakest start to the year since 2020, when its operations were disrupted by COVID-19. By contrast, Geely's January sales were flat year-on-year and Leapmotor - a Chinese partner of Stellantis - reported a 27% rise in deliveries in the month.
In response to the domestic downturn, BYD has signaled a push for fresh products in 2026. In January the company introduced upgraded versions of several plug-in hybrid models equipped with long-range batteries. Despite these launches, sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles - which constituted more than half of BYD's total car sales - fell 28.5% in January, extending a decline that followed a 7.9% drop in 2025.
Overseas expansion has been a focal point for BYD as it seeks to offset weaker home-market demand. In January, sales outside China climbed 43.3%, making up 48% of BYD's total deliveries for the month. The company has set a target of 1.3 million overseas vehicle shipments for this year, a 24% increase from 2025 but below an earlier ambition of up to 1.6 million vehicles that management discussed with Citi in November.
Additional market and ownership signals have weighed on investor sentiment. BYD's Hong Kong-listed shares have declined nearly 40% since May 2025, and Berkshire Hathaway - an investor in BYD since 2008 - fully exited its stake in the Chinese automaker last year.
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