

Investor's Corner
Tesla stock (TSLA) maintains strength amid Chinese tariff rollbacks, Q4 Model 3 push
Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) appear to be keeping their momentum on Tuesday, trading as high as $369.80 after the opening bell. The electric car maker continues to show momentum amidst news of upcoming tariff rollbacks in China, as well as what could very well be another Model 3 push for the end of the fourth quarter.
Reports emerged on Tuesday stating that China is moving to cut import tariffs on American-made vehicles entering its shores. Due to the US-China trade war, vehicles from America such as Tesla’s electric cars are weighed down by a steep 40% import tariff. Citing people familiar with the matter, a Bloomberg report has noted that China is poised to cut import taxes to just 15%, following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina.
The publication’s sources noted that the specifics of the two countries’ deal have yet to be finalized. That said, the idea of reduced import tariffs has been warmly received by Wall Street. Other American carmakers such as GM and Ford both rose about 2% in Tuesday’s pre-market, and Tesla opened the day well into the green.
Tesla has maintained a strong brand in China despite its sales being weighed down by the ongoing trade war. The company has adopted strategies to protect its presence in the country, even announcing last month that it would “absorb” some of the 40% import tariffs to make its vehicles more affordable to Chinese buyers. That said, a 15% import tariff for the company’s electric cars would likely herald a big boost for Tesla’s sales in the country.
Tesla’s performance in a Chinese market with a 15% import tariff has been teased earlier this year. Prior to the start of the US-China trade war, after all, China’s Customs Tariff Commission under China’s cabinet announced that it would reduce car import duties from 20-25% to just 15%. Tesla promptly adjusted the prices of its vehicles after the announcement. The reaction of the market was notable, resulting in a Tesla gallery in Shanghai clearing out its entire Model X 75D inventory in 24 hours.
Apart from seemingly better headwinds in China, Tesla is also starting what could be its end-of-quarter Model 3 push. Elon Musk has been promoting the company’s vehicles on Twitter, even encouraging buyers to wish to acquire vehicles that were from canceled orders, as well as cars used as display units. Musk even noted that a full refund awaits those who would not be able to take delivery of their vehicles by the end of the year.
Important note for US Tesla buyers: Federal tax credit drops by $3750 in 3 weeks.
To be on the cancellation waitlist for delivery this year or if you want a display car, order at https://t.co/46TXqRJ3C1 or visit our stores. Full refund if Tesla can’t deliver your car this year.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2018
Tesla has shown a tendency to adopt an aggressive push for the Model 3 in the final months of a quarter. The company did this in Q1 when it was trying to hit a production rate of 2,500 Model 3 per week, and it did the same in the second quarter when the target was raised to 5,000 per week. In the third quarter, Tesla’s end-of-quarter push was characterized by what Elon Musk described as “delivery logistics hell” and a remarkable community-driven effort to help hand over vehicles to new owners.
This Q4, Tesla appears to be setting the stage for year another delivery blitz leading all the way until the end of December. Elon Musk previously noted that the company had acquired trucking capacity to avoid the delivery bottlenecks it faced in the third quarter. In a recent tweet, Musk further emphasized Tesla’s generous return policy for its vehicles, in what appears to be yet another gesture encouraging potential electric car buyers to purchase the company’s vehicles.
Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.
Investor's Corner
Tesla tailwinds could drive momentum-filled finish to 2025: analyst
Tesla is heading toward some momentum to finish out the year, one Wall Street firm believes.

Tesla has some tailwinds that could drive it toward a momentum-filled finish to the year, one Wall Street analyst is predicting.
The tailwinds are joined by some minor risks that have impacted the broader electric vehicle market, but overall, this firm believes Tesla has many catalysts moving forward.
Emmanuel Rosner of Wolfe Research believes that Tesla has plenty of things that could drive the stock upward as we approach the end of the year. With Q3 well underway, Tesla has about five months of catalysts to rely on to erase the roughly 18 percent drop in stock price it has so far this year.
At first glance, it is easy to see the things that would have investors bullish on Tesla for the rest of 2025 and even beyond. Initially, the Robotaxi launch and expansion, which spread to Northern California last night, provide potentially huge tailwinds for the company moving forward.
Along with that, and slightly related, are the advancements in Full Self-Driving that the company has made over the past few months.
This includes the potential launch of the FSD suite in regions like Europe and Australia, where the company believes it will make some progress on regulatory approval in the coming months.
Finally, Wolfe says the company’s Optimus project, which is expected to enter scale production sometime next year, is the third catalyst for Tesla moving forward.
With these three projects in motion, Tesla truly can begin to work on rebounding from a rough 2025 on the market.
Rosner writes:
“This name trades more around the narrative than the numbers. And net-net, we tactically see an improving narrative from here. Tesla has several catalysts coming up w/r/t FSD and Robotaxi, including an expansion of their AV service into several new U.S. markets (San Francisco, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, etc.). The company plans to unlock hands-free/eyes-off autonomy for FSD owners in select U.S. locations by YE25. Supervised FSD in China and Europe is expected to launch over the next ~12 months. And, Optimus is expected to enter scale production in 2026.”
Tesla is currently trading around $310 at around 3:20 p.m. on the East Coast.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Robotaxi execution should lead to valuation ‘far exceeding current levels’: analyst
RBC Capital bumped its price target on Tesla stock slightly from $319 to $325.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform is the primary focus for the automaker currently, and based on what has been outlined by the company as goals for the project, one firm is saying that the company’s valuation should “far exceed even current levels.”
The Robotaxi is a self-driving ride-hailing service that Tesla plans to implement in current and future vehicle builds. CEO Elon Musk and other executives have said that “the vast majority of the Tesla fleet that we’ve made is capable of being a Robotaxi,” thanks to its development of Over-the-Air software updates that increase the capability of the vehicle with a simple download.
Currently, the Robotaxi platform is only active in a portion of Austin, Texas, but Tesla is expanding to other markets, including California, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. California will be the next market to open its doors to the Tesla Robotaxi platform.
🚨 Tesla Robotaxi is close to offering rides in California based on this new message we got in our app.
There is no geofence currently set up in the Bay Area, but we’ll monitor it moving forward. pic.twitter.com/ZrKAqDqQs9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 26, 2025
But the name of the game is execution, and that’s what Tesla is aiming for in a timely fashion. If it can come through on all of its current goals, its valuation could explode, and one firm is holding steady on that narrative as Tesla continues to work toward expanding Robotaxi.
On Tuesday, RBC Capital analysts bumped their price target on Tesla shares (NASDAQ: TSLA) to $325 from $319, primarily due to the Robotaxi expansion and its success:
“Should Tesla be successful on all of its goals, its valuation could far exceed even current levels. The Austin Robotaxi launch has been better than many feared, and the company is looking to expand in more cities.”
There are some risks to Tesla’s narrative, but they fall outside the scope of what the company can control. In relation to Robotaxi, regulatory hurdles remain. Some regions may be slower than others to give Tesla the proper licensing to operate in their jurisdiction. This could slow the pace of Robotaxi expansion, bringing some overhang to the story.
Additionally, Tesla is fending off narratives of slowing demand, and the White House’s decision to revoke the $7,500 EV tax credit from consumers could temper sales past Q3.
Nevertheless, Robotaxi is where Tesla’s true value seems to be focused. Successfully launching a driverless ride-sharing platform is where the company is putting all of its eggs, and revolutionizing passenger travel is where the focus lies.
RBC Capital’s note continued:
“Regulatory hurdles remain, however. Further, we expect the end of IRA credits and high levels of used EV inventory to pressure the auto business for the next several quarters.”
The slight price target bump puts RBC Capital’s expectations near where the stock is trading, as it is currently priced at around $320 at 9:54 a.m. on the East Coast.
Investor's Corner
Elon Musk shares details on Tesla AI6 production deal with Samsung
Tesla is already laying the groundwork for the ramp of its next-generation products.

Elon Musk has provided some details about Tesla’s AI6 production deal with South Korean tech giant Samsung. As per Musk, Samsung’s upcoming Texas fabrication facility will be dedicated to the production of Tesla’s AI6 chip.
Musk’s update suggests that Tesla is already laying the groundwork for the ramp of its next-generation products like the Cybercab and Optimus.
Samsung AI6 production reports
On Sunday, Bloomberg News claimed that Samsung will be producing semiconductors for Tesla in a $16.5 billion deal. As per the report, Samsung is currently producing Tesla’s AI4 chip, and the deal will help the South Korean tech giant gain some ground back from competitors in the semiconductor market.
Elon Musk confirmed the news on X, stating that the $16.5 billion is actually just the bare minimum. As per Musk, the deal with Samsung will likely be “much more than that.” And in a later comment, Musk clarified that the actual output of Samsung’s Tesla AI6 plant will “likely be several times higher” than what has been reported.
Musk shared a critical detail that would likely allow Samsung to maximize its AI6 output. “Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency. This is a critical point, as I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress. And the fab is conveniently located not far from my house,” Musk wrote in his post.
Elon Musk on AI5 and AI6
Tesla currently produces vehicles with its AI4 chip, which is produced by Samsung. As per the CEO, Tesla’s AI5 chip, which just finished its design, will be produced by TSMC. The AI5 chip will be produced initially in Taiwan, and then in Arizona, the CEO noted.
Elon Musk’s comments about AI6 and Samsung’s output suggest that Tesla is really preparing to enter a stage in its growth that involves production at a scale that’s never been seen before. Tesla’s speed is quite notable, though it seems safe to assume that the actual rollout of AI6 will still be a few years away.
In a few years, Tesla will probably be mass producing the Cybercab and Optimus, as well as more affordable vehicles that will likely see more adoption from mainstream customers. This means that Samsung’s AI6 ramp will likely be just in time to support Tesla’s outputs for its Optimus bots, its Cybercabs, and its mass market affordable cars.
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