Connect with us
Polestar 3 prototype scores positive reviews ahead of deliveries Polestar 3 prototype scores positive reviews ahead of deliveries

Investor's Corner

Polestar’s Q3 revenue and gross profit skyrocket, operating loss trims by 33%

Credit: Polestar

Published

on

Polestar’s (NASDAQ: PSNY) position as one of two global, pure electric vehicle makers was solidified with a strong Q3 earnings report that featured skyrocketing revenue and gross profit figures and an operating loss that was reduced by one-third. The Swedish automaker reiterated its 50,000-vehicle delivery goal, expecting Q4 to be its strongest three-month showing in company history.

Polestar’s revenue skyrocketed in Q3 from $748 million in 2021 to $1.477 billion this year. The growth was mainly driven by higher Polestar 2 sales and continued commercial expansion across markets. Revenue per vehicle decreased slightly, Polestar said, attributing the slight reduction to product and market mix.

Polestar is currently recognizing its active markets as Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, South Korea, Kuwait, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, U.K., and the USA.

Gross profit also grew considerably compared to the same quarter in 2021. Polestar reported a $57 million gross profit in Q3 2022, up from just $1 million last year. This was a result of higher Polestar 2 sales and lower manufacturing costs, which come as companies scale the production of their vehicles. The gross profit growth was slightly offset by “the continued deterioration of the Swedish Krona versus Chinese Renminbi which led to higher cost of sales,” the automaker said.

Polestar accomplished five feats in Q3, including the launch of the Polestar 3, which was met with mixed reviews due to its stylish and competitive design that also features less-than-admirable efficiency. The event provided a spike to the company’s website, only succeeded by user visits following the Superbowl ad the company ran in February.

Advertisement

Polestar is reaching its 100,000-vehicle production milestone for the Polestar 2 in the near future. The company expects to meet this threshold in Q4 as it expects to deliver at least 19,500 vehicles in 2022’s final quarter. Polestar said it expects Q4 to be its biggest quarter to date as manufacturing growth continues to help the company solidify itself as a major player in the market.

The company’s $1.48 billion in revenues through the first nine months of 2022 only transitions into the $2.4 billion that Polestar expects to deliver for the full year. This is an estimated increase of 80 percent compared to 2021. It also obtained an additional $1.6 billion in financing and liquidity packages from major shareholders, which will, in addition to other potential financing activities, provide Polestar will sufficient funds to operate through 2023.

Polestar reduced SG&A expenses by 10 percent compared to Q3 2021, from a loss of $199 million to $179 million, and R&D expenses by 51 percent, from a loss of $51 million to a loss of $25 million. It also trimmed its operating loss by one-third compared to Q3 2021. These numbers tell a different story from the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period this year.

SG&A was up 31 percent for the first nine months of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. This was due to “rapid commercial expansion and significantly increased global presence.” R&D expenses were down 22 percent due to lower amortization. Meanwhile, operating loss was up 64 percent, “reflecting investment in the business growth and a $372 million non-recurring, non-cash listing expense.”

Polestar has launched production of the Polestar 3 and plans to start deliveries sometime early next year. It will also launch the Polestar 4 in early 2023, it said.

Advertisement

Polestar shares were up nearly 20 percent at the time of publishing, trading at $5.44 per share.

Disclosure: Joey Klender is not a Polestar investor or shareholder.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Analyst: Elon Musk’s $1 trillion Tesla pay deal modest against robot market potential

Jonas highlighted Tesla’s longer-term ambitions in robotics as a key factor in his assessment.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, one of Wall Street’s most ardent Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) bulls today, has described Elon Musk’s newly proposed $1 trillion performance-based compensation package as a “good deal” for investors. 

In a note shared this week, Jonas argued that the package helps align the interests of Musk and Tesla’s minority shareholders, despite its shockingly high headline number.

Future market opportunities

Jonas highlighted Tesla’s longer-term ambitions in robotics as a key factor in his assessment. “Yes, a trillion bucks is a big number, but (it) is rather modest compared to the size of the market opportunity,” Jonas wrote. He added that the humanoid robot market could ultimately surpass the size of today’s global labor market “by a significant multiple.”

“We have entertained scenarios where the humanoid robot market can exceed the size of today’s global labor market… by a significant multiple,” Jonas wrote, as shared on X by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt.

The analyst likened the arrival of AI-powered robotics to the transformative effect of electricity, noting that “contemplating future global GDP before AI robots is like contemplating global GDP before electricity.” The Morgan Stanley analyst’s insights align with the idea that as much as 80% of Tesla’s future valuation could be tied to its Optimus humanoid robot program.

Advertisement

Elon Musk’s pay package

Tesla’s board has tied Elon Musk’s proposed compensation package to some of the most ambitious targets in corporate history. The 2025 CEO Performance Award requires the automaker’s valuation to soar from roughly $1.1 trillion today to $8.5 trillion over the next decade, a level that would make Tesla the most valuable company in existence.

The plan also demands a leap in Tesla’s operating profit, from $17 billion in 2024 to $400 billion annually. It also ties the CEO’s compensation to a number of product milestones, including the delivery of 20 million vehicles in total, 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions, 1 million Tesla Bots, and 1 million Robotaxis in operation. Tesla’s board emphasized that Musk’s leadership was fundamental to achieving such ambitious goals, with Chair Robyn Denholm noting the award would align the CEO’s incentives with long-term shareholder value.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla board reveals reasoning for CEO Elon Musk’s new $1 trillion pay package

“Yes, you read that correctly: in 2018, Elon had to grow Tesla by billions; in 2025, he has to grow Tesla by trillions — to be exact, he must create nearly $7.5 trillion in value for shareholders for him to receive the full award.”

Published

on

tesla
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s Board of Directors has proposed a new pay package for company CEO Elon Musk that would result in $1 trillion in stock offerings if he is able to meet several lofty performance targets.

Musk, who has not been meaningfully compensated since 2017, completed his last pay package by delivering billions in shareholder value through a variety of performance-based “tranches,” which were met and resulted in the award of billions in stock.

Elon Musk’s new pay plan ties trillionaire status to Tesla’s $8.5 trillion valuation

However, Musk was unable to claim this award due to a ruling by the Delaware Chancery Court, which deemed the payout an “unfathomable sum.”

Now, the company is taking steps to ensure Musk gets paid, as the Board feels that it is crucial to retain its CEO, who has been responsible for much of the company’s success.

This is not a statement to undermine the work of all of Tesla’s terrific employees, but a ship needs to be captained by someone, and Musk has proven he is the right person for the job.

The Board also believes that, based on a statement made by the company in its proxy, various issues will be discussed during the upcoming Shareholder Meeting.

Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson recognized Musk’s contributions in a statement, which encouraged shareholders to vote to approve the payout:

“We’re asking you to approve the 2025 CEO Performance Award. In designing the new performance award, we explored numerous alternatives. Ultimately, the new award aims to build upon the success of the 2018 CEO Performance Award framework, which ensure that Elon was only paid for the performance delivered and incentivized to guide Tesla through a period of meteoric growth. The 2025 CEO Performance Award similarly challegnes Elon to again meet a series of even more aspirational goals, including operational milestones focused on reaching Adjusted EBITDA targets (thresholds that are up to 28 times higher than the 2108 CEO Performance Award’s top Adjusted EBITDA milestone) and rolling out new or expanded product offerings (including 1 million Robotaxis in commercial operation and delivery of 1 million AI Bots), all while growing the company’s market capitalization by trillions of dollars.

Yes, you read that correctly: in 2018, Elon had to grow Tesla by billions; in 2025, he has to grow Tesla by trillions — to be exact, he must create nearly $7.5 trillion in value for shareholders for him to receive the full award.

In addition to these unprecedented performance milestones, the 2025 CEO Performance Award also includes innovative structural features, born out of the special committee’s considered analysis and extensive shareholder feedback. These features include supercharged retention (at least seven and a half years and up to 10 years to vest in the full award), structural protections to minimize stock price volatility due to administration of this award and, thereafter, incentives for Elon to participate in the Board’s continued development of a framework for long-term CEO Succession. If Elon achieves all the performance milestones under this principle-based 2025 CEO Performance Award, his leadership will propel Tesla to become the most valuable company in history.”

Musk will have a lot of things to accomplish to receive the 423,743,904 shares, which are divided into 12 tranches.

However, the Board feels he is the right person for the job, and they want him to remain the CEO. This package should ensure that he stays with Tesla, as long as shareholders feel the same way.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Elon Musk’s new pay plan ties trillionaire status to Tesla’s $8.5 trillion valuation

Shareholders are expected to vote on the proposal at the annual meeting on November 6.

Published

on

USAFA_Hosts_Elon_Musk_(Image_1_of_17)_(cropped)
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk poses for a photograph with U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets in Mitchell Hall during a tour hosted by Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark on April 7, 2022. Musk met with Academy senior leadership and delivered remarks to a crowd of cadets and faculty. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin R. Pacheco)

Tesla’s board has proposed a new compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that could make him the world’s first trillionaire and Tesla the most valuable company in history. 

The 2025 CEO Performance Award, outlined in a securities filing on Friday, would be worth up to $900 billion in Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) if the automaker achieves a series of aggressive performance and valuation goals, according to the New York Times

Shareholders are expected to vote on the proposal at the annual meeting on November 6.

Tesla is aiming for an insane $8.5 trillion market cap

The package requires Musk to lift Tesla’s market capitalization from about $1.1 trillion today to $8.5 trillion over the next decade. At that level, Tesla would surpass every major public company in existence. Nvidia, currently the world’s most valuable firm, has a market cap of around $4.2 trillion today, as noted in a Motley Fool report. Microsoft and Apple follow at $3.8 and 3.6 trillion each, while Saudi Aramco is valued at around $1.5 trillion.

If Tesla achieves its $8.5 trillion target, it would be worth more than twice Nvidia’s present valuation and nearly eight times its current size. The compensation plan also requires Tesla’s operating profit to grow from $17 billion last year to $400 billion annually.

Advertisement
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk’s path to a trillionaire status

Apart from leading Tesla to become the world’s biggest company in history, Musk is also required to hit several product targets for the electric vehicle maker. These include the delivery of 20 million Tesla vehicles cumulatively, 10 million active FSD subscriptions, 1 million Tesla bots delivered, and 1 million Robotaxis in operation.

Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm and director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson said retaining Musk is “fundamental to Tesla achieving these goals and becoming the most valuable company in history.” If successful, the plan would raise Musk’s Tesla stake from 13% to about 25%, further consolidating his control. It would also result in the CEO earning $900 billion in TSLA stock, allowing him to effectvely become a trillionaire. 

The proposal mirrors a 2018 compensation plan that was invalidated in Delaware court earlier this year in the way that it is focused on very aggressive targets and operational milestones. Tesla has since shifted its corporate registration to Texas, where challenges from potential activist shareholders are less of a risk.

Tesla’s SEC filing can be viewed below.

www-sec-gov-Archives-edgar-data-1318605-000110465925087598-tm252289-4_pre14a-htm… by Simon Alvarez

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending