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Tesla’s 2019 Annual Shareholder Meeting: 10 things retail investors want to know

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Tesla’s retail investors are aggregating a number of inquiries that will hopefully be addressed by the electric car maker in the upcoming 2019 Annual Shareholder Meeting, which will be held later today. The questions are compiled from verified TSLA investors by Say, a startup whose aim is to develop effective investor communication tools.

Through the online platform, TSLA investors submitted and voted on inquiries that they wish would be discussed and explained by Tesla during the event. So far, the crowdsourced initiative has been garnering a fair amount of support from investors, with over 420 retail shareholders representing around $27 million worth of TSLA stock submitting their inquiries as of writing.

Here are a number of questions that have garnered a good number of votes from retail shareholders.

  • What is the status of Tesla insurance for vehicles?
  • What aspects of battery production will the integration of Maxwell technology affect and by what factor including cost, energy density, and longevity? Will it also impact batteries used for energy storage?
  • Production has been battery constrained for some time now. Can you describe Tesla’s road map to increase cell and pack production as the Model Y, Semi, Pickup, and Roadster 2.0 will dramatically add to Tesla’s battery needs?
  • Can Tesla provide an update on the direction of (its) solar business?
  • Elon, you’ve said you want Tesla to be the best manufacturer on earth. Can you comment on some of the things manufacturing wise that will be different in Giga3 compared with Fremont and the other Gigafactories?
  • Tesla does not advertise which is a good thing (mostly). However, majority of the people are unaware of how affordable, fun and efficient Tesla cars are. Any plans for non-traditional marketing to educate the people on the advantages of owning a Tesla and accelerate adoption?
  • Is there any chance the Model Y production schedule will be pushed up? We all know Crossovers and Small SUVs are the highest selling automobiles now, and many other automakers appear to be readying theirs for sale.
  • Would Tesla consider opening up the “Tesla Ride-sharing Network” prior to full autonomy being reached? Allowing the public to hail premium rides from Tesla owners through the Tesla App would add an additional source of revenue generation and introduce non-owners with the brand.
  • At the end of 2018 Q4 you announced a significant multifaceted service initiative. How far has it come and how much further does it need to go to be where you want it to be?
  • When will model 3 owners who paid for FSD get upgraded from HW2.5 to HW3?

Tesla has been tapping into the pulse of its retail shareholders using the Say platform for the past quarters. During last year’s second quarter earnings call, for example, retail investors representing $60 million worth of TSLA shares aggregated over 300 inquiries for the company, and five were personally addressed by CEO Elon Musk during the Q&A session. Say also played a huge part in Tesla’s Q1 2019 earnings call, where investors inquired about updates on projects such as the Maxwell acquisition and Powerpack production.

Tesla’s 2019 Annual Shareholder Meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time at the Computer History Museum located in Mountain View, CA. Similar to the company’s Autonomy Day, which saw Tesla unveil the capabilities of its custom-designed full self-driving computer, the upcoming shareholder meeting will be livestreamed. The link for the event’s livestream could be accessed here.

The full list of questions from TSLA’s retail investors listed on Say for the Annual Shareholder Meeting could be accessed here.

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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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Elon Musk

Elon Musk affirms Tesla commitment and grueling work schedule: “Daddy is very much home”

The remarks came as Tesla shares crossed the $400 mark on the stock market.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk reiterated his commitment to the electric vehicle maker and its future projects this week, responding to speculation following his $1 billion purchase of TSLA stock. 

The remarks came as Tesla shares crossed the $400 mark on the stock market, extending a rally fueled in part by Musk’s TSLA purchase.

Elon Musk’s nonstop work schedule

Amidst the reaction of TSLA stock to Musk’s $1 billion investment, Tesla owners such as @greggertruck noted that “Daddy’s home.” Musk replied, stating that “Daddy is very much home.” He then shared details of a packed weekend of work, which was definitely grueling but completely within character for a “wartime CEO.”

Musk did note, however, that he had lunch with his kids during the weekend despite his extremely busy schedule.

“Daddy is very much home. Am burning the midnight oil with Optimus engineering on Friday night, then redeye overnight to Austin arriving 5am, wake up to have lunch with my kids and then spend all Saturday afternoon in deep technical reviews for the Tesla AI5 chip design. 

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“Fly to Colossus II on Monday to walk the whole datacenter floor, review transformers and power production (excellent progress), depart midnight. Then up to 12 hours of back-to-back meetings across all Tesla departments, but with a particular focus on AI/Autopilot, Optimus production plans, and vehicle production/delivery,” Musk wrote in his post

Wartime CEO

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives described Musk as operating in “wartime CEO mode,” highlighting autonomous driving and AI as a trillion-dollar market opportunity for Tesla. Musk reiterated this point late last month as well, when he outlined the several projects he is juggling among his numerous companies. At the time, Musk stated that he was busy with Starship 10, Grok 5, and Tesla V14. This was despite his notable presence on X. 

With Tesla Master Plan Part IV being partly released, the company is entering what could very well be its most ambitious stage to date. To usher in an era of sustainable abundance, Tesla would definitely require a “wartime CEO,” someone who could remain locked in and determined to push through any obstacles to ensure that the company achieves its goals.

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Elon Musk

Tesla analyst says Musk stock buy should send this signal to investors

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish.”

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased roughly $1 billion in Tesla shares on Friday, and analysts are now breaking down the move as the stock is headed upward.

One of them is William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer, who said in a new note to investors on Monday that Musk’s move should send a signal of confidence to stock buyers, especially considering the company’s numerous catalysts that currently exist.

Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever

Dorsheimer said in the note:

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish. This purchase is Musk’s first buy since 2020. To us, this sends a strong signal of confidence in the most important part of Tesla’s future business, robotaxi.”

Musk putting an additional $1 billion back into the company in the form of more stock ownership is obviously a huge vote of confidence.

He knows more than anyone about the progress Tesla has made and is making on the Robotaxi platform, as well as the company’s ongoing efforts to solve vehicle autonomy. If he’s buying stock, it is more than likely a good sign.

Tesla has continued to expand its Robotaxi platform in a number of ways. The project has gotten bigger in terms of service area, vehicle fleet, and testing population. Tesla has also recently received a permit to test in Nevada, unlocking the potential to expand into a brand-new state for the company.

In the note, Dorsheimer also touched on Musk’s recent pay package, revealing that William Blair recently met with Tesla’s Board of Directors, who gave the firm some more color on the situation:

“We recently participated in a meeting with Tesla’s board of directors to discuss the details of Musk’s performance package. The board is confident of its position in the Delaware case and anticipates a verdict by end of year. It does not expect a similar situation to occur under new Texas jurisdiction. Musk has the board’s full support, and we expect he’ll get more than enough shareholder support for this to pass with flying colors.”

Tesla stock is up over 6 percent so far today, trading at $421.50 at the time of publication.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever

Prior to this latest move, Musk’s most recent purchase was for about 200,000 shares worth $10 million in 2020.

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons


Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares rose on Monday after CEO Elon Musk disclosed a rare insider purchase of company stock worth about $1 billion. 

A filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that Musk acquired 2.57 million shares last Friday at various prices. The move represents Musk’s largest TSLA purchase ever by value, as per Verity data.

Elon Musk’s TSLA purchase

The disclosure sent Tesla shares up more than 8% in premarket trading Monday, as investors read the purchase as a notable vote of confidence, as stated in a CNBC report. Tesla stock had closed slightly lower Friday but remains more than 25% higher over the past three months. It should be noted that prior to this latest move, Musk’s most recent purchase was for about 200,000 shares worth $10 million in 2020.

Market watchers say the purchase could help shore up investor sentiment amid a volatile year for TSLA stock. Shares have faced pressure from a variety of factors, from year-over-year sales challenges due to the new Model Y changeover, political controversies tied to Musk, and reduced U.S. incentives for EVs under the Trump administration. Nevertheless, analysts such as Wedbush’s Dan Ives stated that Musk’s purchase was a “huge sign of confidence for Tesla bulls and shows Musk is doubling down on his Tesla A.I. bet.”

Tesla and Elon Musk

Musk already owns about 13% of Tesla, and his latest purchase comes as the company prepares for a key shareholder vote in November. Investors will decide whether to approve a compensation package for Musk that could ultimately be worth as much as $975 billion if ambitious market value milestones are achieved. The package has a long-term target of pushing Tesla’s market capitalization to $8.5 trillion, compared with about $1.3 trillion at Friday’s close.

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Wall Street’s current consensus price target still implies a roughly 20% decline from current levels, though some Tesla bulls remain optimistic that the company could shift its focus toward autonomy, AI, and robotics. Musk has also asked shareholders to approve an investment into his latest venture, xAI.

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