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Elon Musk’s post as Tesla’s chairman is on the line at 2018 shareholders meeting

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Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is set to hold its 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA on Tuesday. During the event, which is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. PST, shareholders are expected to hold a vote on a number of executive decisions that can affect the course of the company, including Elon Musk’s position as chairman of Tesla’s board.

Back in April, Tesla shareholder Jing Zhao, who owns 12 shares of the company’s common stock, submitted a proposal to remove and replace Musk as chairman. Musk had been serving as chairman of Tesla’s board for 14 years, starting his tenure in the position back in 2004. According to Zhao’s proposal, having Musk serve as both chairman and CEO at the same time would not be effective for the company as it begins to wade into far more competitive markets. The Tesla shareholder also cited Musk’s involvement with SpaceX and The Boring Company as potential sources of “conflicts” down the road.

Zhao’s proposal got support from proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis. The two agencies also supported the Union-affiliated investment adviser CtW Investment Group’s initiative, which called for the removal of three Tesla board members — Antonio Gracias, James Murdoch, and Kimbal Musk — in the upcoming shareholders meeting over their lack of relevant experience.

Elon Musk, however, might have some powerful supporters when the vote does happen on Tuesday. In a statement to Reuters, Morningstar analyst David Whiston noted that the chances of Musk being voted out of his chairman’s position are rather slim, considering that Tesla’s big investors are fully supporting the serial tech entrepreneur.

“I doubt they would vote against Elon because if you don’t believe in Elon, why are you in the stock?” he said.

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One of Tesla’s Top 20 investors echoed the Morningstar analyst’s prediction. Speaking to the publication, the shareholder noted that they are “making a bet” on Elon Musk. The investor also compared Musk to past visionaries in the tech industry, such as Apple’s Steve Jobs.  

“We’re making a bet on Elon Musk. These people are geniuses. You either believe in him or you don’t,” the investor said.

Ultimately, the results of Tuesday’s votation might be determined by the votes cast by funds run by T. Rowe Price Group and Fidelity Investments, both of which could be considered as wild cards among Tesla’s investors. T. Rowe Price owned about 9% of Tesla stock as of the end of March, while Fidelity Investments commanded 8%, making them two of Tesla’s biggest shareholders. A vote from these firms supporting or objecting to Musk’s removal from his chairman post could sway the decision either way. 

Musk debuted the production ready Model 3 on June 28 and handed over the first 30 vehicles.

Tesla’s is currently taking on its biggest challenge to date — mass-producing the Model 3, its most disruptive vehicle yet. The compact electric car has had multiple setbacks over the past few quarters, but developments over the past month have been encouraging. Tesla, for one, has maintained its goal of producing the 5,000 Model 3 per week by the end of Q2 2018. Orders for the dual-motor AWD and Performance Model 3 have also been opened for reservation holders.

The company has also registered more than 18,000 new Model 3 VINs in May, a feat that took Tesla until March 2018 to accomplish. A leaked email from Elon Musk also revealed that Tesla has been producing a consistent rate of 500 Model 3 per day, or 3,500 vehicles per week. Lastly, reports at the end of May suggested that Tesla had flown in six airplanes’ worth of new robots and equipment from Europe in order to help address bottlenecks at Gigafactory 1.

Tesla shares are down 15% over the past 12 months, contrasting with the S&P 500 index, which has gained 12% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has gained 16% during the same period.

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As of writing, Tesla stock is trading up 1.55% at $296.35 per share.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Investor's Corner

Tesla gets its best analysis from Morgan Stanley as ‘it’s all about to change’

He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has gotten perhaps its best analysis from Morgan Stanley in quite some time, as the Wall Street firm claims that “it’s all about to change.”

That phrase could be used for both the company’s status and the world in general.

Analyst Adam Jonas said in a new note on Thursday to investors that Tesla could be one of the major winners in terms of the global transition from what it is now to what it will be.

He describes the global shift that will occur over the next few years:

“Have you interacted with a robot today? Have you even seen a robot today? No? Well, take a mental picture because it’s all about to change. When we meet someone who has never been in a Waymo or a Tesla Cybercab (which is most people), we frequently see a wince and a response such as ‘I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable getting in a car without a driver.’ We imagine going back in time to 1903 and asking people if they’d feel comfortable in an airplane.’”

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The same technological revolutions that have occurred over the past 150 years will continue to occur again and again. We are on the verge of another, Jonas believes, as companies like Tesla are working on artificial intelligence tech, which includes changing the way we look at things like transportation and labor.

Jonas includes an interesting tidbit in his note about how humanoid robots could change wages, and how it could work into the advantage of Tesla, especially as it is developing its own Optimus robot:

“We estimate 1 humanoid robot at $5/hour can do the work of 2 humans at $25/hour, generating an NPV of approximately $200k/humanoid. 1 robot shaped car can potentially drive down cost/mile of a ride share vehicle to <$0.20 mile (1/10th human-driven ride-share).”

Jonas sees Tesla as a key player in how AI will impact things like manufacturing and various automotive industries, and he believes there is long-term potential for AI, robomobility, and even autonomous eVTOL platforms.

Tesla stock: Morgan Stanley says eVTOL is calling Elon Musk for new chapter

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He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.

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Tesla stock gets crazy prediction from CEO Elon Musk

Musk says this is what it would take to be a millionaire from a Tesla investment right now.

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A red Tesla Roadster driving around a turn
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) got a crazy prediction from CEO Elon Musk recently, as the future of the company seems to be moving more toward AI, autonomy, and robotics, and away from automotive, which is what it has traditionally been recognized as.

Over the past few years, as Tesla has prioritized its Full Self-Driving suite, its rollout of a dedicated Robotaxi program, and the development of the Optimus bot, the company has gained a new reputation from analysts.

It was always looked at as a stock with tremendous potential by many Wall Street firms, some more than others.

The most bullish analysts, like Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, believe the company will eventually reach a multi-trillion-dollar valuation and a share price of over $2,000. Her $2,600 price target does not include any contributions of Optimus. Instead, it leans on Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi.

Tesla tops Cathie Wood’s stock picks, predicts $2,600 surge

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Based on where the company is now, there are a lot of potential catalysts. The Robotaxi expansion, as well as affordable vehicles, its prowess in AI and Robotics, and its powerful energy division are all arguments for investment.

One X user said that a $150,000 investment in Tesla right now would likely make you a millionaire. Musk said he thinks that sentiment is “probably correct.”

He’s echoed this belief in recent earnings calls, including the one for Q2, which happened in July:

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“I do think if Tesla continues to execute well with vehicle autonomy and humanoid robot autonomy, it will be the most valuable company in the world. A lot of execution between here and there. It doesn’t just happen. Provided we execute very well, I think Tesla has a shot at being the most valuable company in the world. Obviously, I am extremely optimistic about the future of the company.”

Tesla is trading at $316.50 at the time of writing, and has a market cap of just under $1 trillion.

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Tesla stock gets another analysis from Jim Cramer, and investors will like it

“Tesla is morphing right now. It’s in transition from being a car company to being a technology company.”

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Credit: CNBC Television/YouTube

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) got its latest analysis from Jim Cramer, and investors will like what he has to say.

Cramer has flip-flopped his thoughts on Tesla shares many times over the years. One time, he said CEO Elon Musk was a genius; the next, he said Ford stock was a better play. He’s always changing his tune.

However, Cramer’s most recent analysis is of a bullish tone, as he talks about the company’s evolution from an automaker to a tech powerhouse. He made the comments on CNBC’s Mad Money:

“Tesla is morphing right now. It’s in transition from being a car company to being a technology company. You wanna be in there because the tech is worth a lot more than what it’s selling for right now. Don’t care where you bought it, care where it’s going to.”

Tesla has always been looked at by the mainstream media as an automaker. While that is its main business currently, Tesla has always had other divisions: Energy, Solar, Charging, AI, and Robotics. Some came after others, but the important point is that Tesla has not been an automaker exclusively for a decade.

It launched Powerwall and Powerpack in April 2015, marking the start of Tesla Energy.

But Cramer has a point here: Tesla is truly becoming much more than a car company, and it is turning into an AI and overall tech company more than ever before. Eventually, it will be recognized as such, more so than it will be as an automotive company.

Cramer’s comments also follow a recent prediction by Musk, who stated on X that he believes a $150,000 investment in Tesla shares right now would eventually turn someone into a millionaire:

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Musk has said he believes Tesla could be headed to a serious increase in valuation. Eventually, it could become the most valuable company in the world. He said this during the Q2 Earnings Call:

“I do think if Tesla continues to execute well with vehicle autonomy and humanoid robot autonomy, it will be the most valuable company in the world. A lot of execution between here and there. It doesn’t just happen. Provided we execute very well, I think Tesla has a shot at being the most valuable company in the world. Obviously, I am extremely optimistic about the future of the company.”

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