Connect with us

Investor's Corner

Recap: Tesla first-quarter results; Model X on its way

Tesla first quarter earnings beat the estimates of stock analysts, who expected a loss of 50 cents a share. The actual loss was only 36 cents a share.

Published

on

Tesla-Logo-PowerWall-Event

Tesla first-quarter results topped analysts expectations sending shares into positive territory during after-hours trading. The company announced a first-quarter loss of $45 million on revenue of $1.1 billion, which amounts to 36 cents a share on an adjusted basis. That compares to a loss of $50 million, or 40 cents a share, in the first quarter of 2014. Analysts had told investors to expect a loss of 50 cents a share.

On an unadjusted basis, the loss was $1.22 per share. Tesla said the loss includes $22 million, or 17 cents a share, in unrealized losses from foreign currency holdings due to the strong dollar.

The company is experiencing “growing” demand for its Model S electric sedan, according to a report in USA Today. Tesla delivered 10,045 cars during the first quarter and predicted it would produce another 12,500 cars in the second quarter.

The company assured analysts on Wednesday that it was on pace to deliver the expected 55,000 units this year. That number includes sales of both the Model S sedan and the upcoming Model X crossover which is said to begin deliveries starting in the third quarter.

Tesla shares closed at $230.43, down $2.52 or 1.08%, before the earnings report but rose 2.7% in after-hours trading to $236.70. In an exclusive interview with Teslarati, business strategist and Tesla owner Daniel Sparks (@DanielSparks) told us:

Advertisement

“Overall, the quarter was great. The key takeaway was Tesla’s ability to simultaneously maintain so many future growth plans, e.g. maintaining guidance for 55,000 vehicle deliveries in 2015 (up 74% from 2014 deliveries), planning to begin battery cell and pack production in the Gigafactory (which is currently under construction) by next year, expecting to let customers configure Model X by July, and planning to show off the Model 3 (for the first time) in March, 2016.

As shortsighted market watchers focus on near-term financial figures, long-term buy-and-hold Tesla investors know the company is a forward-looking growth story. And when viewed at the 10,000-foot level, Tesla is grade A.”

Perhaps the best news for stockholders was the announcement on April 30 that Tesla will begin selling its Powerwall batteries for residential use, together with its larger PowerPack batteries for commercial and grid scale energy storage, later this year.

SolarCity-Powerwall

Tesla’s Powerwall Home Battery will allow households to to go off the grid by charging via photovoltaic solar panels from SolarCity. Source: SolarCity

Elon Musk told analysts during the conference call that demand for the stationary batteries has been so “crazy” that the company is considering expanding its Gigafactory outside Reno to meet the demand. He said the company already has 38,000 reservations for the home wall unit and 2,500 from large industrial companies or utilities.

“The sheer volume of demand here is staggering,” said Musk. In fact, the Gigafactory could be kept completely busy just building stationary use batteries, the demand is so great.

ALSO SEE >>> Cost benefit analysis of owning the Tesla Powerwall.

Advertisement

Investor's Corner

Bank of America raises Tesla PT to $471, citing Robotaxi and Optimus potential

The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Bank of America has raised its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target by 38% to $471, up from $341 per share.

The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.

Robotaxi and Optimus momentum

Bank of America analyst Federico Merendi noted that the firm’s price target increase reflects Tesla’s growing potential in its Robotaxi and Optimus programs, among other factors. BofA’s updated valuation is based on a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) model extending through 2040, which shows the Robotaxi platform accounting for 45% of total value. The model also shows Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus contributing 19%, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Energy segment adding 17% and 6% respectively.

“Overall, we find that TSLA’s core automotive business represents around 12% of the total value while robotaxi is 45%, FSD is 17%, Energy Generation & Storage is around 6% and Optimus is 19%,” the Bank of America analyst noted.

Still a Neutral rating

Despite recognizing long-term potential in AI-driven verticals, Merendi’s team maintained a Neutral rating, suggesting that much of the optimism is already priced into Tesla’s valuation. 

Advertisement

“Our PO revision is driven by a lower cost of equity capital, better Robotaxi progress, and a higher valuation for Optimus to account for the potential entrance into international markets,” the analyst stated.

Interestingly enough, Tesla’s core automotive business, which contributes the lion’s share of the company’s operations today, represents just 12% of total value in BofA’s model.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla analyst: ‘near zero chance’ Elon Musk’s $1T comp package is rejected

“There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”

Published

on

tesla elon musk

A Tesla analyst says there is “zero chance” that CEO Elon Musk’s new compensation package is rejected, a testament to the loyalty and belief many shareholders and investors have in the frontman.

Tesla investors will vote on November 6 at the annual Shareholder Meeting to approve a new compensation package for Musk, revealed by the company’s Board of Directors earlier this month.

The package, if approved, would give Musk the opportunity to earn $1 trillion in stock, an ownership concentration of over 27 percent (a major request of Musk’s), and a solidified future at the company.

The Tesla Community on X, the social media platform Musk bought in 2023, is overwhelmingly in favor of the pay package, though a handful of skeptics remain.

Nevertheless, the big pulls of this vote are held by proxy firms and other large-scale investors. Two of them, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, said they would be voting against Musk’s proposed compensation plan.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm

Today, the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA) said it would vote in favor of Musk’s newly-proposed pay day, making it the first large-scale shareholder to announce it would support the CEO’s pay.

One analyst said that Musk’s payday is inevitable. Gary Black of the Future Fund said today there is a “near-zero chance” that shareholders will allow Musk’s pay package to be rejected:

There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”

He added an alternative perspective from Wedbush’s Dan Ives, who said that he had a better chance of starting for the New York Yankees than the comp package not being approved.

Black’s the Future Fund sold its Tesla holdings earlier this year. He explained that the firm believed the company’s valuation was too disconnected from fundamentals, citing the P/E ratio of 188x and declining earnings estimates.

The firm maintained its $310 price target, and shares were trading at $356.90 that day.

Shares closed at $452.42 today.

The latest predictions from betting platform Kalshi have shown Musk’s comp package has a 94 percent chance of being approved:

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla analysts are expecting big things from the stock

Published

on

Credit: @AdanGuajardo/X

Tesla analysts are expecting big things from the stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) after many firms made price target adjustments following the Q3 Earnings Call.

Last Wednesday, Tesla reported earnings with record revenue but missed EPS estimates.

It blew delivery expectations out of the water with its strongest quarter in company history, but Tesla’s future relies on the development of autonomous vehicles, robotics, and AI, which many bullish firms highlight as major strengths.

The earnings call reiterated those points, along with the belief that Tesla CEO Elon Musk should be rewarded with a newly proposed pay package that would enable him to gain $1 trillion in wealth if he comes through on a lengthy list of performance tranches.

Nine Wall Street firms made adjustments to their outlook on Tesla shares in the form of price target increases since last Wednesday’s call, all of which are indications of big expectations for the stock moving forward.

Here are the nine firms that made moves:

  • Truist – $280 to $406, reiterated Hold rating
  • Roth MKM – $395 to $404, reiterated Buy rating
  • Cantor Fitzgerald – $355 to $510, reiterated Overweight rating
  • Deutsche Bank – $435 to $440, reiterated Buy rating
  • Mizhuo – $450 to $485, reiterated Outperform rating
  • New Street Research – $465 to $520, reiterated Buy rating
  • Evercore ISI – $235 to $300, reiterated In Line rating
  • Freedom Capital Markets – $338 to $406, upgraded to Hold rating
  • China Renaissance – $349 to $380, reiterated Hold rating

The boosts in price target are largely due to Tesla’s future projects, as Roth MKM, Cantor Fitzgerald, Mizuho, New Street Research, and Evercore ISI all explicitly mention Tesla’s autonomy, robotics, and AI potential as the main factors for its price target boosts.

Cantor Fitzgerald raises Tesla PT To $510, citing Cybercab, Semi, and AI momentum

It is no surprise that many firms are adjusting their outlook on Tesla shares considerably in an effort to prepare for the company’s transition to even more of a tech company than a car company.

The issue with many analysts is that they treat the company’s vehicle deliveries as the main indicator of value.

However, Tesla has a robust energy division, which was a major contributor to the company’s strong margins and gross profit in Q3, as well as its prowess in robotics and AI.

Additionally, the company is seen as a key player in the autonomy field, especially after launching driverless rides on a Robotaxi platform in Austin and expanding a similar program in the Bay Area.

Tesla shares were up over 5 percent at 12:18 p.m. on the East Coast.

Continue Reading

Trending