Investor's Corner
Tesla Q1 2020 earnings call: What Wall St is expecting
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to release its Q1 2020 financial results after markets close tomorrow, April 29, 2020. Following the release of its first-quarter Update Letter, the electric car maker is scheduled to hold its earnings call, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time (6:30 p.m. Eastern Time).
Expectations are higher for Tesla for the first quarter of 2020 despite an extended shutdown of the company’s Fremont, Giga Nevada, and Giga New York facilities in the United States. TSLA stock has more than doubled in value since dipping below $400 per share in March, and the 88,400 vehicle deliveries for Q1 were above Wall Street’s estimates of 75,000-80,000.
REVENUE
Analysts polled by FactSet currently expect Tesla to post a revenue of $6.11 billion. In contrast, Tesla reported revenue of $7.38 billion in Q4 2020, beating Wall Street estimates of $7.047 billion. The company’s revenue is up 35% annually, according to the financial agency.
EARNINGS
Tesla’s strong Q4 2019 saw an earnings per share of $2.14 for TSLA stock. On the other hand, Q1 2019 saw a loss of $2.90 per share. In comparison, analysts expect a GAAP EPS of -$0.90 and non-GAAP EPS of -$0.27 for Q1 2020, as noted in a report from The Street.
FREE CASH FLOW
The consensus among analysts polled by FactSet for Tesla’s free cash flow (FCF) for Q1 2020 is negative $329 million. In comparison, Tesla posted $1.013 billion of free cash flow for Q4 2019. Analysts believe the company’s shutdown of its Fremont factory and COVID-19’s unquestionable impact on production and deliveries will result in significant cash burn.
UPDATES FOR ONGOING PROJECTS
CEO Elon Musk mentioned in March that the company would be looking to build a new Gigafactory within the United States that would be intended for the production of the Cybertruck. Musk plans to produce the Model Y at this upcoming factory as well, which will decrease delivery times for customers in the Eastern sections of the country.
Tesla has plenty of projects going on despite the halt in production in the United States. In China, the Model 3 is quickly becoming one of the most popular vehicles, especially after the car posted a 450% increase in registrations from February to March. This statistic is implicating the overwhelming demand for the vehicle is rising as Tesla begins to offer additional configurations of the affordable sedan, as well as new interior options.
Giga Shanghai was subjected to a shutdown following the Chinese New Year, but Tesla initiated a number of safety measures that aimed to keep employees safe and healthy. Giga Shanghai has since reopened and is currently producing an estimated 3,000 Model 3 per week.
During its January forecasting, Tesla stated its solar and energy storage deployments would expand by “at least 50%” during 2020. With Giga New York closed for solar production, this figure may need to be revised, especially considering the fact that the state of New York has been hit hard by the coronavirus.
However, the site could reopen for ventilator production, as Medtronic and Tesla reached an agreement to begin manufacturing ventilators at the production facility in Buffalo, New York in March.
Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.
Investor's Corner
Ron Baron states Tesla and SpaceX are lifetime investments
Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says he isn’t touching a single share of his personal Tesla holdings despite the recent selloff in the tech sector. Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Baron doubles down on Tesla
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Baron stated that he is largely unfazed by the market downturn, describing his approach during the selloff as simply “looking” for opportunities. He emphasized that Tesla remains the centerpiece of his long-term strategy, recalling that although Baron Funds once sold 30% of its Tesla position due to client pressure, he personally refused to trim any of his personal holdings.
“We sold 30% for clients. I did not sell personally a single share,” he said. Baron’s exposure highlighted this stance, stating that roughly 40% of his personal net worth is invested in Tesla alone. The legendary investor stated that he has already made about $8 billion from Tesla from an investment of $400 million when he started, and believes that figure could rise fivefold over the next decade as the company scales its technology, manufacturing, and autonomy roadmap.
A lifelong investment
Baron’s commitment extends beyond Tesla. He stated that he also holds about 25% of his personal wealth in SpaceX and another 35% in Baron mutual funds, creating a highly concentrated portfolio built around Elon Musk–led companies. During the interview, Baron revisited a decades-old promise he made to his fund’s board when he sought approval to invest in publicly traded companies.
“I told the board, ‘If you let me invest a certain amount of money, then I will promise that I won’t sell any of my stock. I will be the last person out of the stock,’” he said. “I will not sell a single share of my shares until my clients sold 100% of their shares. … And I don’t expect to sell in my lifetime Tesla or SpaceX.”
Watch Ron Baron’s CNBC interview below.
@teslarati :rotating_light: This is why you need to use off-peak rates at Tesla Superchargers! #tesla #evcharging #fyp ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Elon Musk
‘You chose ambition’: Tesla Chair hails shareholders for backing Elon Musk’s vision
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a letter to shareholders celebrating what she described as “overwhelming support” at this year’s Annual Meeting, framing the approval of Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar pay plan as a defining moment in Tesla’s mission.
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Denholm hails shareholder confidence
In her letter, which was posted by the electric vehicle maker on X through Tesla’s official handle, Denholm thanked investors for backing Proposals One, Three, and Four, items she said reaffirm Tesla’s “Master Plan Part IV” and its broader mission to accelerate sustainable prosperity. She characterized the shareholder vote as “a vote of confidence in our visionary leader, Elon,” crediting Musk with transforming Tesla into one of the most valuable companies in history.
“In a year when many tried to sow doubt and negativity, you chose a better future,” Denholm wrote. “You chose ambition. You chose to see what is possible. You chose to back the people who have been in the room since the earliest days, fighting for the mission that first brought us all together—a better world for humanity,” she wrote in her letter.
Her comments framed Musk’s pay package approval not only as a governance milestone but as a symbolic endorsement of Tesla’s long-term trajectory across autonomy, AI, and energy innovation.
“A whole new book” of innovation
Denholm highlighted Tesla’s push toward autonomy as the company’s next major growth phase, citing the Robotaxi program and Optimus humanoid robot as examples of bringing artificial intelligence “into the physical world.” She described this period as potentially “the largest value-creation event in Tesla’s history, and quite possibly in the history of humanity.”
The letter reaffirmed the board’s commitment to direct engagement with shareholders through Tesla’s online platform and live events. Denholm emphasized that feedback from investors “informs our strategy and strengthens us” as Tesla prepares for new technology rollouts and expanded AI capabilities.
“You, our shareholders, have given us the mandate and the runway to execute. We are humbled, and rest assured that we do not take that responsibility lightly… Thank you for believing in Tesla. Thank you for standing with us. We look forward to years of bold leadership and pioneering innovation, fueled by our commitment to creating a better future for all,” she wrote.
Elon Musk
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey endorses Elon Musk Tesla pay package
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey has publicly backed Elon Musk’s leadership ahead of Tesla’s pivotal shareholder vote, which is expected to be decided later today at the company’s 2025 annual meeting.
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Dorsey’s public nod framed as an engineering defense of Musk
In a post on X, Dorsey weighed in on Tesla’s post about being in a “critical inflection point.” As per the Twitter-co-founder, the vote on Musk’s 2025 performance award is not about compensation. Instead, it’s about ensuring the path for the company’s engineering in the coming years.
“This is not about compensation. it’s about ensuring a principled (and exciting!) engineering approach to the company’s future,” Dorsey wrote on his post, later stating that users of Cash app with TSLA shares would be able to vote for the CEO’s proposed 2025 performance award.
Elon Musk appreciated Dorsey’s endorsement, responding to the Twitter co-founder’s post with a heart emoji. Musk has been pretty thankful for the support for is fellow tech executives, also thanking Michael Dell recently, who also advocated for its proposed 2025 performance award.
Musk’s support
While Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award has received opposition from proxy advisors such as Glass Lewis and ISS, it has received quite a lot of support from longtime bulls such as ARK Invest, and, more recently, Schwab Asset Management following calls from TSLA retail shareholders.
“Schwab Asset Management’s approach to voting on proxy matters is thorough and deliberate. We utilize a structured process that focuses on protecting and promoting shareholder value. We apply our own internal guidelines and do not rely on recommendations from Glass Lewis or ISS. In accordance with this process, Schwab Asset Management intends to vote in favor of the 2025 CEO performance award proposal. We firmly believe that supporting this proposal aligns both management and shareholder interests, ensuring the best outcome for all parties involved,” Charles Schwab told Teslarati.
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