

Investor's Corner
Tesla Q1 2024 earnings results: Total revenues of $21.3 billion and $0.45 EPS
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) posted its Q1 2024 earnings report after markets closed today. The results, which were discussed in the Q1 2024 Update Letter, were released after the closing bell on Wednesday, April 23, 2024.
Tesla’s earnings come on the heels of a challenging quarter. During the first quarter, Tesla produced 433,371 vehicles and delivered 386,810 vehicles. Wall Street analysts expected 449,080 deliveries and 452,976 vehicles produced. Tesla noted in its Q1 vehicle delivery and production report that its challenges in the first quarter were partly due to the early phase of the updated Model 3 ramp at the Fremont factory, as well as shutdowns from shipping diversions caused by the Red Sea conflict and an arson attack at Gigafactory Berlin.
The following is a quick overview of Tesla’s Q1 2024 earnings results.
REVENUE
In the first quarter of 2024, Tesla posted total revenues of $21.3 billion, with automotive revenues at $17.3 billion. Bloomberg‘s analyst consensus expected Tesla to post a top-line revenue of $22.31 billion.
Tesla’s total revenue declined 9% YoY in Q1 to $21.3 billion, which was affected by a number of factors such as a reduced vehicle average selling price year-over-year, a decline in vehicle deliveries and growth in other parts of the company’s business.
EARNINGS PER SHARE
Tesla’s non-GAAP earnings per share for the first quarter of 2024 was listed at $0.45, while GAAP EPS for Q1 2024 was listed at $0.34. In comparison, Bloomberg‘s analyst consensus expected Tesla to post adjusted earnings per share of $0.52.
PROFITABILITY
Tesla’s operating income decreased year-over-year to $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2024, resulting in a 5.5% operating margin. Specifically, Tesla posted $1.2 billion GAAP operating income in Q1, $1.1 billion GAAP net income in Q1, and $1.5 billion non-GAAP net income in Q1.
Tesla’s profitability in the first quarter was affected by reduced vehicle ASP due to pricing and mix, an increase in operating expenses partly driven by AI, cell advancements, and other R&D projects, and the cost of the Cybertruck production ramp, among other reasons.
CASH
Tesla’s quarter-end cash, cash equivalents, and investments in Q1 2024 was $26.9 billion. Tesla notes that the sequential decrease of $2.2 billion in its cash was a result of negative free cash flow of $2.5 billion, which was driven by an inventory increase of $2.7 billion and AI infrastructure capex of $1.0 billion.
Tesla investors seem to have taken the company’s Q1 2024 earnings results positively. As of writing, TSLA shares are trading up 5.75% at $153.09 per share.
Below is Tesla’s Q1 2024 Update Letter.
TSLA-Q1-2024-Update by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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Investor's Corner
Piper Sandler raises Tesla (TSLA) target after China trip, cites robotics leadership
Analysts concluded that Tesla is still the benchmark that competitors rely on for innovation.

Piper Sandler boosted its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target to $500 from $400, maintaining an “Overweight” rating after a research trip to China.
The firm cited Tesla’s leadership in artificial intelligence and robotics as central to its thesis, even as Chinese electric vehicle makers grow more competitive. Analysts concluded that Tesla is still the benchmark that competitors rely on for innovation.
A China visit
During its visit, Piper Sandler met with several Chinese EV manufacturers, many of which are vertically integrated and expanding rapidly. Analysts noted that these “fast followers” represent Tesla’s most significant competitive challenge. However, executives from multiple companies acknowledged Tesla’s foundational role in shaping the industry’s direction, TipRanks stated in a report.
One automaker told Piper Sandler that “without Tesla going from 0 to 1, we can’t go from 1 to 100,” highlighting the Elon Musk-led company’s enduring influence. Analysts said the remarks reflect both admiration and dependence on Tesla’s early innovations, particularly in areas such as battery integration, vehicle software, and AI-powered features.
Tesla’s leadership
Piper Sandler’s report emphasized that while Chinese automakers are formidable in design and production, they look to Tesla for advancements in “real-world” AI applications. Tesla’s focus on autonomous driving and robotics continues to distinguish it from competitors, making the company Piper Sandler’s top investment idea in this space.
“Building AI-enabled machines requires data, talent, chips, and engineering prowess. Tesla compares favorably vs. the Chinese on all of these fronts,” Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter stated in a note.
Piper Sandler also shared some of its expectations for Tesla this year, stating that it is estimating that the company will delivery ~495k vehicles this third-quarter, possibly attaining a new all-time record. The firm, however, stated that its 2026 outlook for Tesla is shakier, as the EV maker could just hit ~1.9 million units, which could include as many as 350k affordable “Model 2” vehicles.
Investor's Corner
Tesla upgraded to Outperform at Baird on ‘physical AI’ outlook
Analyst Ben Kallo also raised Tesla’s price target to $548 from $320.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received a bullish nod from Baird this week, with the firm upgrading the stock to “Outperform” on expectations that the company is positioned to lead in what it calls the “physical AI” era.
Analyst Ben Kallo also raised Tesla’s price target to $548 from $320, noting that despite muted quarterly results, shares have gained 24% in the past month, outpacing the S&P 500’s 3% rise.
Long-term milestones
The Baird analyst shared his insights in a note to investors. “Relatively muted stock reactions following a series of less-than-stellar quarters and investor inbounds regarding long-term initiatives lead us to believe focus has increasingly shifted to the future for TSLA. We now expect shares to ‘Outperform’ as TSLA is increasingly viewed as the leader in physical AI,” the analyst wrote in his note.
Kallo also pointed to Tesla’s ambitious roadmap as a key reason for the upgrade, as well as the company’s new proposed compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk. The package ties rewards to ambitious milestones, including the delivery of 20 million vehicles annually, the deployment of 1 million robots and 1 million robotaxis, and 10 million Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions.
Vehicles, robots, and energy
Baird’s scenario analysis suggested that Tesla could reach a valuation of more than $5.5 trillion by 2035 in its minimum case, with potential upside to $12 trillion and $3,000 per share if milestones are exceeded, as noted in an Investing.com report.
Beyond Musk’s compensation framework, Baird highlighted multiple near-term catalysts for Tesla. These include potential updates on Optimus, the rollout of more affordable vehicles, new Robotaxi market entries, and an upcoming shareholder vote on Musk’s pay package. Expansion in Tesla’s energy storage and software businesses was also flagged as a growth driver. Kallo also described Tesla as having “lots of irons in the fire,” ranging from the scaling of the Semi to recurring revenue streams tied to software.
Elon Musk
Tesla called ‘biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen’ by Yale associate dean

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is being called “the biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen” by Yale School of Management Senior Associate Dean Jeff Sonnenfeld, who made the comments in a recent interview with CNBC.
Sonnenfeld’s comments echo those of many of the company’s skeptics, who argue that its price-to-earnings ratio is far too high when compared to other companies also in the tech industry. Tesla is often compared to companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft when these types of discussions come up.
Fundamentally, yes, Tesla does trade at a P/E level that is significantly above that of any comparable company.
However, it is worth mentioning that Tesla is not traded like a typical company, either.
Here’s what Sonnenfeld said regarding Tesla:
“This is the biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen. Even at its peak, Amazon was nowhere near this level. The PE on this, well above 200, is just crazy. When you’ve got stocks like Nvidia, the price-earnings ratio is around 25 or 30, and Apple is maybe 35 or 36, Microsoft around the same. I mean, this is way out of line to be at a 220 PE. It’s crazy, and they’ve, I think, put a little too much emphasis on the magic wand of Musk.”
Many analysts have admitted in the past that they believe Tesla is an untraditional stock in the sense that many analysts trade it based on narrative and not fundamentals. Ryan Brinkman of J.P. Morgan once said:
“Tesla shares continue to strike us as having become completely divorced from the fundamentals.”
Dan Nathan, another notorious skeptic of Tesla shares, recently turned bullish on the stock because of “technicals and sentiment.” He said just last week:
“I think from a trading perspective, it looks very interesting.”
Nathan said Tesla shares show signs of strength moving forward, including holding its 200-day moving average and holding against current resistance levels.
Sonnenfeld’s synopsis of Tesla shares points out that there might be “a little too much emphasis on the magic wand of Musk.”
Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever
This could refer to different things: perhaps his recent $1 billion stock buy, which sent the stock skyrocketing, or the fact that many Tesla investors are fans and owners who do not buy and sell on numbers, but rather on news that Musk might report himself.
Tesla is trading around $423.76 at the time of publication, as of 3:25 p.m. on the East Coast.
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