GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY vs Li Auto Inc., two Auto Manufacturers stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
GM runs debt-free (ex-finance) as a US legacy automaker eking out a thin 1.38% net margin; Li Auto carries 0.13 turns as a young Chinese EV maker netting a similarly thin 1.01%, a rare case where the century-old giant and the upstart earn nearly identical razor margins. GM trades at 28.5 times earnings, Li at 150.6, the market pricing Li's growth at five times GM's multiple. GM yields a prodigious 20.4% in free cash (buyback-and-finance-flavored) and pays a 0.73% dividend; Li yields negative 7.1%, still investing. The pair prices a mass-market incumbent against a Chinese EV challenger; both earn thin margins, but GM converts far more to cash while Li spends toward scale, and the market pays up for the growth.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | GM | LI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $78.13 | $12.05 |
| Market cap | $72.3B | $25.8B |
| Sector | Auto Manufacturers | Auto Manufacturers |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +10.7% |
| P/E | 28.5 | 150.6 |
| P/B | 1.12 | 2.47 |
| P/S | 0.39 | 1.61 |
| EV/EBITDA | 3.6 | 32.4 |
| Revenue growth | -2.0% | +53.8% |
| Gross margin | — | 18.7% |
| Operating margin | 6.7% | -0.5% |
| Net margin | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Return on equity | 3.9% | 1.6% |
| Return on assets | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Return on invested capital | 3.1% | -0.6% |
| FCF yield | 20.4% | -7.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.7% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Current ratio | 1.15 | 1.81 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 1.22 | 2.56 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 2 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.