- If executed, it would mark the first executive share buyback since the company's secondary listing in Hong Kong in August 2021.
- The potential capital market intervention follows a 19% decline in deliveries in 2025, as well as an ongoing exodus of senior management personnel.
Li Xiang, founder, chairman, and CEO of Li Auto, is considering buying back some of the embattled Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker's Hong Kong-listed shares as the stock price hovers near record lows, according to a Wednesday report by local media outlet 21jingji.
The potential intervention comes during a challenging period, with the company's Hong Kong share price plunging to a record low of HK$61.15 ($7.81) on January 20.
Over the past two months, Li Auto's stock has continued to hover at low levels, closing at HK$69.85 per share on Wednesday.
Key details, such as the specific buyback ratio and the total amount of funds, are currently still under discussion, the report noted, citing multiple independent sources.
In response to the report, an official representative of Li Auto, when contacted for verification, said that they are merely at the stage of discussing the possibility of the plan, 21jingji noted.
If executed, the buyback plan would mark the first executive share repurchase since the company's secondary listing in Hong Kong in August 2021.
Li Auto experienced a 19% year-on-year decline in annual deliveries in 2025, handing over a total of 406,300 new vehicles and missing its target.
The weak sales performance has been directly reflected in its fluctuating and declining stock price, which had previously faced immense pressure from competing products, including those from Huawei-backed Aito.
The sales slowdown is accompanied by growing internal management turmoil, as multiple key executives have left the company since the beginning of 2026.
Han Ling, head of smart driving products, was confirmed to have resigned on March 9, joining a growing list of departed executives that includes Chen Wei, former head of foundation models, according to 21jingji.
The latest February delivery data presented a mixed picture to investors, with deliveries for the month totaling 26,421 units, a marginal increase of 0.60% compared to the same period last year.
Despite the slight year-on-year growth, this figure represents a 4.51% decline compared to January.
Across the broader Chinese EV industry, Li Auto's peers have frequently utilized such financial interventions in the past to prop up their sluggish market valuations.
Over the past two years, the CEOs of Leapmotor and Xpeng have both increased their shareholdings in their respective companies on several occasions.
($1 = HK$ 7.8268)
