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Tesla bulls respond to ‘The Big Short’ and his massive bet against the stock

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) bulls are responding to “The Big Short” Michael Burry’s massive bet against the electric automaker’s stock, indicating that their beliefs don’t align with the man who correctly predicted the 2008 collapse of the housing crisis.

Yesterday, a 13-F Filing with the SEC revealed that Burry has puts against over 800,000 shares of Tesla. The details of the puts, like value, strike price, or expiry, are unknown, and the filling only details the number of shares that Burry has puts against.

EXCLUSIVE: Tesla Giga Berlin isn’t facing a 6-month delay: German Minister

However, Tesla bulls like Gene Munster of Loup Ventures and Pierre Ferragu of New Street Research aren’t aligning with Burry’s consensus on the stock.

Burry believes that Tesla’s stock is highly reminiscent of the housing market in 2007, just a few months before the crash that led to the first recession in the American economy in twenty years. The previous economic downfall occurred in 1987 when “Black Monday” struck, and stock markets around the world fell apart. Burry has told Tesla investors to “enjoy it while it lasts” and notes that the housing bubble also gained massive value in 2007 before falling apart in September 2008.

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Betting against Tesla stock is a risky option, Munster believes. Tesla shares increased in value by over 700% last year, and while 2021 hasn’t yielded the same results, Munster’s analysis reveals that things like tax credits for owners can only lead to bullish outlooks for the automaker’s stock.

Munster believes the reintroduction of a $7,000 EV tax credit could be one of the biggest pieces of the bull story for Tesla in 2021. “In my view, it should be part of the bull thesis,” Munster said to CNBC’s Squawk Box. “I don’t think we’re at anything close to ending these tax credits. They will likely get restarted again for Tesla owners.”

Tesla lost its ability to offer a $7,000 EV credit after it surpassed the 200,000 vehicle threshold years ago. GM is the only other automaker to achieve this and have the tax credit expunged from its purchases, mostly due to the popularity of the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Munster also reminds those who are focused on Tesla’s sub-par 2021 run that the stock is up considerably over the past twelve months. “The stock is still up a lot over the past year. It was $160 twelve months ago.”

Meanwhile, other bulls, like Pierre Ferragu, didn’t comment directly on Burry’s opinions of Tesla stock but did state that the “return on operating assets” is Tesla’s “bullet-proof metric.”

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“We hear a lot of comments about Tesla’s profitability (or lack thereof),” Ferragu writes. “They usually happily mix considerations about gross margin, segment results, exceptional or financial items, regulatory credits…and rarely make any sense. Tesla builds factories to manufacture cars and sells them. As a result, the only appropriate way to evaluate its operational profitability is to look at cash return on operating assets: out of a dollar of assets immobilized in the group, how much cash can Tesla generate in one year.”

Ferragu says Tesla broke even in Return on Assets in 2018, and in 2020, the company got a 20% cash return. He sees this increasing to 40% in 2023 as new factories in Germany and Texas will increase Tesla’s cash generation as the Return on Assets continues to improve.

At the time of writing, Tesla shares were trading at $589.44, up 2.16%.

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Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.

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

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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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