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Investor's Corner

What happened to Jim Cramer’s love affair with Tesla and Elon Musk?

Credit: YouTube/CNBC Television

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Jim Cramer’s love affair with Tesla and Elon Musk appears to be over, based on recent comments the long-time Mad Money host has made in the past few months. Cramer flipped from bear to bull on Tesla stock several years ago following a drive in his daughter’s Tesla, essentially becoming one of the company’s most outspoken supporters. However, Cramer has moved on from his bullish Tesla outlook.

Recently, Cramer’s overwhelming support for Tesla started to crumble after he stated that the Cybertruck would be Musk’s “first disaster.” Instead, Cramer told car buyers to look at the all-electric F-150 Lightning from Ford, the automaker’s battery-powered version of the United States’ best-selling pickup truck. The F-150 Lightning is set to begin deliveries next Spring.

While purchasing a vehicle based on aesthetics is purely up to the consumer, there is no evidence to suggest that the Cybertruck will be a disaster at all, especially in terms of interest. In fact, the Cybertruck has already accumulated over 1.2 million pre-orders. Even if 50% of those orders are unfulfilled based on pure speculation, that would still make the Cybertruck one of the most popular vehicles in the country. The most popular vehicle in the United States is the Ford F-Series, which sold 787,372 units in 2020, according to GoodCarBadCar.

Earlier today, Cramer made another bold statement regarding who he would rather put his trust in between Musk and Ford CEO Jim Farley. His choice would certainly not appease Tesla fans by any measure, as Cramer stated he would much rather have Farley than Musk.

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Jim Farley is undoubtedly a credible CEO, with a proven record of success thus far. He has supported Ford’s transition to electrification, and the company’s stock price has soared since he assumed the role of CEO in October 2020. While Farley has been a supporter and crutch for Ford’s transition away from combustion engines, he is not as innovative or revolutionary as Musk, and there isn’t much of a comparison based on what the two men have done in their careers as CEOs.

In a matter of months, Cramer has gone from perhaps the biggest Elon fan and supporter to relatively no trust or enthusiasm regarding Tesla or its products. One can only ask: What’s the reason for this?

The flip on Cramer’s view was drastic and uncharacteristic of someone who has supported Tesla and been a very vocal bull for several years. Here are some of the things that Cramer has said about Tesla as recently as May 2021:

May 2021: Elon Musk states Tesla will halt Bitcoin transactions due to environmental concerns

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“I don’t know why the hell he said it. I don’t know whether there was another objection besides the environmental, because the environmental [reason] doesn’t hold water. It’s been this way the whole time. But he chose to do this, and I don’t get it. But, he does a lot of things that I can’t fathom that turn out to be brilliant.”

Tesla’s Bitcoin reversal confuses Jim Cramer, but he’s not giving up on Elon Musk

January 2021: Musk’s contribution to Tesla’s valuation 

“If you don’t have any, you can still buy some. Don’t buy a lot, but you can certainly still buy some. The roadmap is clear, Elon, every time he talks, it’s going to be good, and I just think we all have to accept the fact that President Biden will do anything to make the EV to be the central form of transport.”

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“Every time Elon opens a new market, like he is about to do with his factory in Berlin, the stock will go up again. It’s really a question of whether you believe in iterations.”

Tesla still a ‘Buy’ to Jim Cramer: ‘Everytime [Elon] talks, it’s going to be good’

September 2020: Battery Day critics just didn’t get it

“They’re [critics] just bummed that the things they hyped didn’t happen.”

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“Tesla rolls out a plan to create an electric car for the masses and greeted with a yawn because Musk didn’t roll out a magic battery…That’s what happens when you let expectations get out of control.”

Tesla (TSLA) shares snatched up by ARK after Battery Day: “It’s going to be hard to catch up”

While many critics of Cramer’s simply claim he has changed his $TSLA position, or that he is supporting ICE-based automakers, there is no evidence of this yet. However, Cramer’s sudden flip on Tesla is interesting, and only he knows why he has chosen to openly ditch the efforts of the electric car company that is undoubtedly leading the charge.

 

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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

Lucid CEO dispels any rumors of bankruptcy: ‘So far from the facts’

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Credit: Lucid

Lucid CEO Silvio Napoli responded to rumors of an imminent bankruptcy that was reportedly being mulled after a report stated the automaker was working with the firm AlixPartners to iron out its next steps.

The company felt a massive loss on Wall Street yesterday, as the report essentially pushed the stock down as much as 55 percent on Tuesday.

The report, published initially by Eletric-Vehicles.com, claimed Lucid was essentially in dire straits and was told by AlixPartners, a commonly used restructuring advisor, to either take shares private or file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Lucid denies rumors of bankruptcy after over 40% stock drop

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Lucid’s head of Communications, Nick Twork, immediately challenged the report and stated the company “has sufficient liquidity to carry its operations well into next year.”

Now, the company’s CEO is chiming in as well, stating that the report is “so far from the facts that they require a direct response.”

Napoli said:

“Lucid is not considering bankruptcy or a transaction to take the company private. Those reports are false. The Board did not explore either scenario. Period.

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As disclosed in our most recent quarterly filing, Lucid has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations well into next year.

We work with outside advisors to improve operational performance and execution. They are not advising Lucid on a take-private transaction or bankruptcy, and any suggestion that they have recommended either course of action to management or the Board is false.

My priority is clear: turn this company around. That is where the leadership team and I are focused.

I look forward to providing a full update during our quarterly earnings call on August 4th.”

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It seems pretty clear that Lucid is confident things will be okay, and, to be honest, they should not have much to worry about, especially considering the company has been backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) for years. It has solid financial backing, and its sales, while weak, are pretty much right on par with a company of this age.

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Lucid also sent a Cease & Desist letter to the publication for their report.

Lucid shares have rebounded nicely and are up nearly 21 percent at the time of publication. As soon as the company dispelled the rumors of bankruptcy yesterday, the stock began to climb back toward more reasonable levels.

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Investor's Corner

Lucid denies rumors of bankruptcy after over 40% stock drop

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Credit: Lucid

Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group has denied rumors of an imminent bankruptcy after a report from this morning sent the stock on a dramatic drop on Wall Street, seeing losses of more than 40 percent during trading hours.

Lucid’s Director of Communications, Nick Twork, responded to the report from Eletric-Vehicles.com, which stated the company’s restructuring advisor, AlixPartners, was asked to review two decisions: taking Lucid shares private or filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The report also claims AlixPartners told the Lucid board to “concentrate on Gravity production while improving its quality, and to temporarily hold back the Lucid Air, the sedan that has defined the company since its launch.”

Twork said:

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Shares rebounded after the response to the report, halving its losses as the trading day neared 3 p.m. Eastern.

Lucid has struggled to get its sales off the ground and into more respectable numbers, but the company is in its early years, when things are hard to begin with. It is also backed by several notable investors, including the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has nearly limitless money and likely would not ditch an investment of this size so soon.

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Lucid shares were down just 14 percent at the time of publication, a far cry from the 55 percent its losses topped out at during the day.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla gets price target upgrade on heels of crazy successful auto quarter

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla received a price target upgrade just on the heels of what was a crazy successful quarter for its automotive business, as the company reported a delivery beat of over 15 percent for Q2.

Jefferies analysts are upping Tesla’s price target (NASDAQ: TSLA) to $400 from $375, while maintaining their “Hold” rating on shares, and the strong automotive deliveries from Q2 is a big reason. However, there are some other catalysts that Jefferies believes position Tesla for a strong position in the second half of the year.

Strong Deliveries

Tesla reported 480,000 deliveries for Q2, while Wall Street was between 395,000 and 405,000, as an overall consensus. It was an incredibly strong quarter from a delivery perspective, and Tesla sold well more than it produced during the three months.

Tesla crushes Wall Street expectations, beats delivery estimates by over 15 percent

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While vehicle deliveries are not necessarily looked at in the light that they used to be, Tesla still maintains a lot of advantages for keeping deliveries strong. With the loss of the $7,500 EV Tax Credit last year, Tesla still maintains a strong demand case for its EVs.

Robotaxi Performance

Tesla has been operating Robotaxi for over a year now, as it launched in Austin in mid-2025. That program has expanded to Houston and Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and, most recently, Miami, Florida, the suite’s first appearance in the Sunshine State.

While the Robotaxi suite is still in its early phases and Tesla is working through things like fleet size and wait times, the company has been able to undercut the pricing of its competitors and has a great safety record.

Merger Speculation with Tesla and SpaceX

This is perhaps the biggest topic that many are speaking about with Tesla and SpaceX, and it is the one thing that seems to be on the mind of every investor.

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Jefferies warns that growing talk of a Tesla-SpaceX merger could cause Tesla stock to trade more like a SpaceX proxy, which may disconnect it from underlying automotive fundamentals. SpaceX has a lot going for it, especially its compute deals that have been widely publicized as of late.

Profitability in New Projects Could Take Some Time

Tesla has a few long-term ventures in the pipeline, most notably the Optimus project and Robotaxi, which is launched but will take several years to expand to a meaningful level that resonates with everyday people.

This is something that investors need to be careful of. Tesla’s projects could take some time to round out, so Jefferies advises that these may carry initial losses, rather than immediate profit. Seasoned Tesla investors have echoed something like this for a long time; they knew going in it would not be an open-and-shut strategy. It was going to take time.

These new projects are no different.

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