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Tesla stocks (TSLA) resilient despite CA regulators’ safety investigation

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Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) are up 0.28%, trading at $294.17 per share during intraday on Thursday, showing resilience amid reports that the company is now the subject of a safety investigation by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA).

The Cal-OSHA’s safety investigation comes just a few days after the Center for Investigative Reporting’s Reveal published a long article alleging that Tesla was intentionally neglecting to report its employees’ serious injuries in order to make its safety record appear better. Citing former employees, the publication alleged that several of Tesla’s safety problems were the result of CEO Elon Musk’s preferences. In one instance, a former Tesla employee claimed that there were very few hazard signs in the Fremont factory simply because Musk dislikes the color yellow. Tesla has denied these allegations.

In a statement to Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Erika Monterroza, a spokeswoman for the state’s industrial relations department, noted that Cal-OSHA takes reports of workplace hazards very seriously. While Monterroza did not specify Reveal’s report, she did confirm that the agency has an open safety investigation on Tesla.

“The state agency takes seriously reports of workplace hazards and allegations of employers’ underreporting recordable work-related injuries and illnesses and currently has an open inspection at Tesla,” she said.

Tesla has issued a response to Cal-OSHA’s safety investigation. In a statement to Bloomberg News, the electric car maker pledged its full cooperation of the ongoing probe.

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“Cal-OSHA is required to investigate any claims that are made, regardless of whether they have merit or are baseless (as we believe these are), and we always provide our full cooperation. We have never in the entire history of our company received a violation for inaccurate or incomplete injury record-keeping,” Tesla wrote.

Tesla also noted that last year, Cal-OSHA had already investigated the company’s injury reporting and record-keeping. According to the Elon Musk-led company, the probe was closed after the agency found no violations in its operations.

Amidst news of the ongoing Cal-OSHA investigation, analysts from Morgan Stanley have published a note titled Tesla’s next move: $200 or $400? In the note, Morgan Stanley analysts led by Adam Jonas maintained their Neutral rating on TSLA stock, as noted in a MarketWatch report. The financial firm, however, opted to slightly lower their price target from $379 to $376 per share, representing a 27% upside over Wednesday’s figures.

“We see the next three months as the most critical time in Tesla’s history since the Model S launch six years ago,” the analysts wrote in the note.

Tesla also announced that it would release its first quarter 2018 financial results report after markets close on May 2, 2018. A live webcast of its Q1 2018 earnings call is also set to begin at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST), where the company will discuss its its business and financial results, as well as its outlook.

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Tesla shares have lost 1.5% over the past 12 months. In comparison, the S&P index gained 16% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 21% during the same period.

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.

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Tesla analyst: ‘near zero chance’ Elon Musk’s $1T comp package is rejected

“There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”

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A Tesla analyst says there is “zero chance” that CEO Elon Musk’s new compensation package is rejected, a testament to the loyalty and belief many shareholders and investors have in the frontman.

Tesla investors will vote on November 6 at the annual Shareholder Meeting to approve a new compensation package for Musk, revealed by the company’s Board of Directors earlier this month.

The package, if approved, would give Musk the opportunity to earn $1 trillion in stock, an ownership concentration of over 27 percent (a major request of Musk’s), and a solidified future at the company.

The Tesla Community on X, the social media platform Musk bought in 2023, is overwhelmingly in favor of the pay package, though a handful of skeptics remain.

Nevertheless, the big pulls of this vote are held by proxy firms and other large-scale investors. Two of them, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, said they would be voting against Musk’s proposed compensation plan.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm

Today, the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA) said it would vote in favor of Musk’s newly-proposed pay day, making it the first large-scale shareholder to announce it would support the CEO’s pay.

One analyst said that Musk’s payday is inevitable. Gary Black of the Future Fund said today there is a “near-zero chance” that shareholders will allow Musk’s pay package to be rejected:

There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”

He added an alternative perspective from Wedbush’s Dan Ives, who said that he had a better chance of starting for the New York Yankees than the comp package not being approved.

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Black’s the Future Fund sold its Tesla holdings earlier this year. He explained that the firm believed the company’s valuation was too disconnected from fundamentals, citing the P/E ratio of 188x and declining earnings estimates.

The firm maintained its $310 price target, and shares were trading at $356.90 that day.

Shares closed at $452.42 today.

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The latest predictions from betting platform Kalshi have shown Musk’s comp package has a 94 percent chance of being approved:

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Investor's Corner

Tesla analysts are expecting big things from the stock

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Credit: @AdanGuajardo/X

Tesla analysts are expecting big things from the stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) after many firms made price target adjustments following the Q3 Earnings Call.

Last Wednesday, Tesla reported earnings with record revenue but missed EPS estimates.

It blew delivery expectations out of the water with its strongest quarter in company history, but Tesla’s future relies on the development of autonomous vehicles, robotics, and AI, which many bullish firms highlight as major strengths.

The earnings call reiterated those points, along with the belief that Tesla CEO Elon Musk should be rewarded with a newly proposed pay package that would enable him to gain $1 trillion in wealth if he comes through on a lengthy list of performance tranches.

Nine Wall Street firms made adjustments to their outlook on Tesla shares in the form of price target increases since last Wednesday’s call, all of which are indications of big expectations for the stock moving forward.

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Here are the nine firms that made moves:

  • Truist – $280 to $406, reiterated Hold rating
  • Roth MKM – $395 to $404, reiterated Buy rating
  • Cantor Fitzgerald – $355 to $510, reiterated Overweight rating
  • Deutsche Bank – $435 to $440, reiterated Buy rating
  • Mizhuo – $450 to $485, reiterated Outperform rating
  • New Street Research – $465 to $520, reiterated Buy rating
  • Evercore ISI – $235 to $300, reiterated In Line rating
  • Freedom Capital Markets – $338 to $406, upgraded to Hold rating
  • China Renaissance – $349 to $380, reiterated Hold rating

The boosts in price target are largely due to Tesla’s future projects, as Roth MKM, Cantor Fitzgerald, Mizuho, New Street Research, and Evercore ISI all explicitly mention Tesla’s autonomy, robotics, and AI potential as the main factors for its price target boosts.

Cantor Fitzgerald raises Tesla PT To $510, citing Cybercab, Semi, and AI momentum

It is no surprise that many firms are adjusting their outlook on Tesla shares considerably in an effort to prepare for the company’s transition to even more of a tech company than a car company.

The issue with many analysts is that they treat the company’s vehicle deliveries as the main indicator of value.

However, Tesla has a robust energy division, which was a major contributor to the company’s strong margins and gross profit in Q3, as well as its prowess in robotics and AI.

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Additionally, the company is seen as a key player in the autonomy field, especially after launching driverless rides on a Robotaxi platform in Austin and expanding a similar program in the Bay Area.

Tesla shares were up over 5 percent at 12:18 p.m. on the East Coast.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla warns Elon Musk could step down if shareholders reject pay plan

Denholm’s letter emphasized Tesla is at a “critical inflection point” as it scales AI-driven projects such as Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Optimus.

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Wcamp9, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm has urged shareholders to approve CEO Elon Musk’s new 2025 Performance Award ahead of the November 6 Annual Meeting, warning that rejecting it could risk losing his leadership. 

In a letter posted on Tesla’s official handle on X, Denholm stated that the company must “foster an environment that motivates Elon to achieve great things,” or risk losing “his time, talent, and vision,” which she described as essential to Tesla’s success.

Retaining Musk amid Tesla’s critical transition

Denholm’s letter emphasized Tesla is at a “critical inflection point” as it scales AI-driven projects such as Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Optimus. She argued that Musk’s leadership remains vital as Tesla pushes toward becoming “the leading provider of autonomous solutions and the most valuable company in the world.” Without a new performance-based plan, Denholm warned, Musk could step away, potentially costing Tesla significant long-term value.

“If we fail to foster an environment that motivates Elon to achieve great things through an equitable pay-for-performance plan, we run the risk that he gives up his executive position, and Tesla may lose his time, talent, and vision, which have been essential to delivering extraordinary shareholder returns,” the Tesla Board Chair stated.

The board’s proposed 2025 Performance Award aligns Musk’s compensation with ambitious targets while extending his commitment for at least 7.5 more years. Denholm stated that the vote is a defining moment for Tesla’s future direction, adding that the plan was designed to keep Musk focused on innovation while maintaining governance discipline. “A vote here is both an endorsement of Elon’s vision and a vote for Tesla’s carefully tailored strategy,” she said.

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Musk’s pay history is rooted in performance

Elon Musk’s pay history with Tesla has long been unconventional. For years, he has declined a regular salary, instead directly tying his earnings to Tesla’s ability to meet ambitious production and market-value goals. His 2018 performance award, approved by shareholders at a time when Tesla had a market cap of just about $59 billion, granted him stock options only when Tesla reached aggressive growth milestones, such as growing the company’s market cap to $650 billion. 

At the time, the milestones included $50 billion additions to Tesla’s market cap, which were considered by many to be unrealistic. Those goals were ultimately met by the electric vehicle maker, but a Delaware court later rescinded the plan in January 2024, calling it an “unfathomable sum.”

Tesla shareholders reaffirmed support for Musk’s pay in 2024, even as legal disputes continued. The board then issued an interim equity package valued around $29 billion while developing a new long-term plan earlier this year. Since then, Tesla’s Board has proposed Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, which could be worth nearly $1 trillion, but only if Musk were to grow Tesla into the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of $8.5 trillion, among other aggressive and ambitious targets.

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