Investor's Corner
Jefferies raises Tesla (TSLA) price target to $950 over strong demand, growing capacity
Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) recently received an optimistic outlook from Jefferies Equity Research, with analyst Philippe Houchois raising his price target on the automaker from $850 to $950 per share. Jefferies cited several reasons behind its update on TSLA stock, though the analyst noted that part of it is due to the growing gap between Tesla and legacy OEMs.
“We raise EBIT estimates 7-9% for 2022-23 and PT to $950 on higher capacity ramp and sustained demand, following further analysis of Q3 data and various sources of information on the soon-to-be-launched Berlin facility. For some time, the narrative has been legacy OEMs closing the gap; we see little evidence as Tesla continues to challenge at multiple levels. We raise EBIT and margin estimates in contrast with doubts about earnings momentum across legacy OEMs,” Houchois wrote in a note.
The Jefferies analyst noted that the demand has so far been stable for Tesla, and the company’s production capacity is getting better too. With strong demand and an ability to produce more of its products, Tesla could cater to substantially more consumers in the near future. Houchois estimated that even with a linear ramp, the addition of Giga Berlin and Giga Texas should add at least 500k units of actual capacity in one year. The analyst also noted that considering China’s recent results, concerns about domestic demand in the world’s largest EV market might be overblown.
“We make minor changes to 2021 delivery estimates (910k), calculating production exit run-rate of 1.1m, and raise 2022-23 volume to 1.3-1.7m units. Modeling a linear ramp-up of production at the low end of guided 5-10k units/week for two similarly sized new facilities in Austin and Berlin, Tesla is set to add at least 500k units of actual capacity in one year to 1.6million and a solid 200-250k of actual units in 2022.
“The final details of Q3 also showed China domestic sales of 73.6k units, putting to rest concerns about domestic demand, while annualized Q3 output yields 530k, i.e., Shanghai running at more than full capacity. Ytd Tesla delivered slightly more units than produced despite a still “immature” production network with cross-continent shipping accounting for c.20% of total production. Localizing production should improve delivery timing and associated transit costs,” Houchois wrote.
Apart from these, the Jefferies analyst noted that based on the information it could gather from Giga Berlin, the plant seems to be heavily designed for simplicity. This should make it easier for the company to produce vehicles like the Made-in-Germany Model Y in a manner that is extremely cost-efficient and relatively simple. This, together with Tesla’s capability to weather the chip shortage crisis by adapting its products to what components are available, should allow the company to keep an edge against its peers.
“From the information we could gather on the new Berlin facility, we noted that plant design was heavily flow-driven while the aluminum casting of both front and rear underbodies may reduce by c.40% the number of body-in-white components and robots required for welding and assembly. In a global auto industry plagued by complexity, Tesla continues to reduce complexity and set new standards for simplicity of design and assembly.
“Whilst Tesla has not been immune to supply disruptions in the course of 2021, it has outperformed peers in sourcing semi-conductors. From discussions with a senior expert in semi-conductor sourcing and manufacturing, we understand this partly reflects Tesla in-sourcing chip design with an ability to effect rapid re-design and secure more direct sourcing than peers,” the Jefferies analyst wrote.
Disclaimer: I own TSLA stock.
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Investor's Corner
Tesla enters new stability phase, firm upgrades and adjusts outlook
Dmitriy Pozdnyakov of Freedom Capital upgraded his outlook on Tesla shares from “Sell” to “Hold” on Wednesday, and increased the price target from $338 to $406.
Tesla is entering a new phase of stability in terms of vehicle deliveries, one firm wrote in a new note during the final week of October, backing its position with an upgrade and price target increase on the stock.
Dmitriy Pozdnyakov of Freedom Capital upgraded his outlook on Tesla shares from “Sell” to “Hold” on Wednesday, and increased the price target from $338 to $406.
While most firms are interested in highlighting Tesla’s future growth, which will be catalyzed mostly by the advent of self-driving vehicles, autonomy, and the company’s all-in mentality on AI and robotics, Pozdnyakov is solely focusing on vehicle deliveries.
The analyst wrote in a note to investors that he believes Tesla’s updated vehicle lineup, which includes its new affordable “Standard” trims of the Model 3 and Model Y, is going to stabilize the company’s delivery volumes and return the company to annual growth.
Tesla launches two new affordable models with ‘Standard’ Model 3, Y offerings
Tesla launched the new affordable Model 3 and Model Y “Standard” trims on October 7, which introduced two stripped-down, less premium versions of the all-electric sedan and crossover.
They are both priced at under $40,000, with the Model 3 at $37,990 and the Model Y at $39,990, and while these prices may not necessarily be what consumers were expecting, they are well under what Kelley Blue Book said was the average new car transaction price for September, which swelled above $50,000.
Despite the rollout of these two new models, it is interesting to hear that a Wall Street firm would think that Tesla is going to return to more stable delivery figures and potentially enter a new growth phase.
Many Wall Street firms have been more focused on AI, Robotics, and Tesla’s self-driving project, which are the more prevalent things that will drive investor growth over the next few years.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives, for example, tends to focus on the company’s prowess in AI and self-driving. However, he did touch on vehicle deliveries in the coming years in a recent note.
Ives said in a note on October 2:
“While EV demand is expected to fall with the EV tax credit expiration, this was a great bounce-back quarter for TSLA to lay the groundwork for deliveries moving forward, but there is still work to do to gain further ground from a delivery perspective.”
Tesla has some things to figure out before it can truly consider guaranteed stability from a delivery standpoint. Initially, the next two quarters will be a crucial way to determine demand without the $7,500 EV tax credit. It will also begin to figure out if its new affordable models are attractive enough at their current price point to win over consumers.
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.
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.
“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.
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.”
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.
There is a near zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting. As Wedbush analyst Dan Ives (@divestech) colorfully put it in a Yahoo Finance interview on October 23rd: “I have a better chance of starting for…
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) October 27, 2025
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:
— Kalshi (@Kalshi) October 20, 2025
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