Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) share price ‘far from an aberration’ based on 2020 developments

Tesla Roadster at Tesla Battery Day 2020 Credit: @BLKMDL3 | Twitter

Published

4 years ago

November 6, 2020

Joey Klender

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has gained significant notoriety on Wall Street after an extremely successful year in terms of trading. After a 400% spike in TSLA’s trading price so far in 2020, some refer to the stock as an aberration or an outlier that will soon realize its true valuation when other car companies catch up. However, one of Tesla’s biggest investors, investment firm Baillie Gifford, is arguing the other way, stating that its developments in 2020 speak for themselves.

“Whilst the company and its colorful founder attract an unusually high degree of attention, emotion, and noise, the underlying return picture is far from an aberration. Returns are concentrated in a handful of big winners,” the firm’s managers said in a report on November 6th. “Tesla has made significant operational progress. It has successfully added capacity, and the production ramp of its latest model has progressed far more smoothly than for any of its previous vehicles. Demand for its products is strong, and the response from its traditional competitors remains muted,” it added, according to The Guardian.

Gifford is spot on with its assessment of Tesla. The year 2020 has been tough, but the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker has accelerated toward its product’s global dominance through brand loyalty and innovation. The proof of growth is shown in the company’s Quarterly Earnings Calls, with its most recent numbers describing increased demand and a need for more efficient manufacturing to keep up with orders. Tesla has been focused on increasing its manufacturing and production lines, looking for new facilities to lead the way with sources of innovation.

But Tesla “mania” hasn’t been friendly to all. The self-proclaimed and outspoken short-sellers admit that the EV revolution’s leader is harming their portfolios. Ask David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital Re, who said that his firm lost $22.8M during the first nine months of 2020.

Who Wears Short Shorts: David Einhorn’s Ghost Hunt for Tesla’s Weakness

Short-sellers are right when they say that Tesla has been an outlier, but not in a way that will benefit their portfolios. The electric automaker has realized significant growth financially and in terms of production and delivery rates during a time where other companies in the same industry have fought to remain relevant. Tesla is undoubtedly the leader in electric transportation, and other car companies have been vocal about the company’s lead in the sector. Volkswagen and Audi are two companies that have admitted Tesla is years ahead of the competition.

Baillie Gifford is the second-biggest winner from Tesla’s share price increases in 2020. The only entity that has won bigger: Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk.

The firm holds about £16.7B, or $21.96B, in Tesla shares. This figure would be larger if the firm weren’t forced to sell some of its TSLA holdings earlier this year when the concentration of its portfolio had overflown with the electric automaker’s value. To keep its portfolio balanced for investors, the firm sold some TSLA shares.

Tesla’s dominance of the EV sector certainly has made some rich, and Gifford is one of them. The firm’s loyalty to the Tesla mission has made its portfolio extremely valuable in a matter of nine months, and it believes that the company’s plans will only further solidify the presence of its electric car revolution.

Disclaimer: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.

Elon Musk

Shark Tank’s O’Leary roasts Tim Walz over Tesla stock hate session

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2025

Joey Klender

Shark Tank personality and legendary investor Kevin O’Leary roasted former Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz over his comments regarding Tesla shares earlier this week.

Walz, a Minnesota Democrat, said that he recently added Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to his Apple Stocks app so he could watch shares fall as they have encountered plenty of resistance in 2025 so far. He said that anytime he needs a boost, he looks at Tesla shares, which are down 36 percent so far this year:

If you need a little boost during the day, check out Tesla stock 📉 pic.twitter.com/KBEh6pOZLW
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 19, 2025

Walz, among many others, has been critical of Tesla and Elon Musk, especially as the CEO has helped eliminate excess government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

However, Kevin O’Leary, a legendary investor, showed up on CNN after Walz’s comments to give him a bit of a reality check. O’Leary essentially called Walz out of touch for what he said about Tesla shares, especially considering Tesla made up a good portion of the Minnesota Retirement Fund.

As of June 2024, the pension fund held 1.6 million shares of Tesla stock worth over $319.6 million:

O’Leary continued to slam Walz for his comments:

“That poor guy didn’t check his portfolio and his own pension plan for the state. It’s beyond stupid what he did. What’s the matter with that guy? He doesn’t check the well-being of his own constituents.”

He even called Walz “a bozo” for what he said.

Of course, Walz’s comments are expected considering Musk’s support for the Trump Administration, as the Tesla CEO was a major contributor to the 45th President’s campaign for his second term.

However, it seems extremely out of touch that Walz made these comments without realizing the drop was potentially hurting his fund. While we don’t know if the fund has sold its entire Tesla holdings since June, as a newer, more recent report has not been released yet, it seems unlikely the automaker’s shares are not still making up some portion of the fund.

Elon Musk

Tesla gets an upgrade on ‘upcoming material catalysts’

Published

4 days ago

March 19, 2025

Joey Klender

(Source: Tesla)

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received an upgraded rating on its shares from Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, who recently took a trip to Austin to visit the company’s data centers and production lines ahead of several high-profile product launches set for this year.

It was a bold move, especially considering Tesla shares are under immense pressure currently, fending off negative news regarding the company’s sentiment and potentially lower-than-expected delivery figures due to the launch of a new version of its most popular vehicle, the Model Y.

However, the bulls on Wall Street are still considering Tesla to be a safe play, especially considering its robust presence in various industries, including automotive, energy, and AI/Robotics.

Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Andres Sheppard said in a note that, during a recent visit to Tesla’s Cortex AI data centers and the production line at Gigafactory Texas, it was clear there is a lot of potential and runway for Tesla in 2025:

“On 3/18, we visited Tesla’s Cortex AI data centers and the factory’s production lines ahead of the company’s introduction of its Robotaxi segment (targeted for June in Austin, followed by CA later in 2025). With Tesla’s shares now down ~45% YRD, we upgrade Tesla to Overweight (from Neutral) ahead of upcoming material catalysts. Our $425 12-month PT is unchanged. Our Thoughts: Attractive Entry Point Ahead of Material Catalysts.”

Sheppard went on to mention the catalysts, which he believes are the Robotaxi rollout in Austin in June, along with the continued rollout of Full Self-Driving in China, the eventual rollout of FSD in Europe, and the introduction of the affordable models in the first half of this year, and those were just on the automotive side.

There are several others, including Optimus, growth in the energy division, and in the longer term, the Semi.

In terms of potential weaknesses, Sheppard expects the likely removal of the EV tax credit and some of its growth to be offset by tariffs as the two big things that stand in the way of even more growth for the company.

Tesla is up over 5 percent on Wednesday, trading at $236.86.

Investor's Corner

Tesla stock surges on Wednesday, but there’s still more room to go

Published

2 weeks ago

March 12, 2025

Joey Klender

Credit: Tesla

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) surged over 7 percent on Wednesday, canceling out some of the losses it has felt this week.

It has been a less-than-ideal start for Tesla in 2025, as the company has wiped out all of its gains felt from the victorious election campaign of President Donald Trump. The stock is down 34 percent so far this year.

The losses have mostly been felt due to reports of decreased demand due to pushback against CEO Elon Musk and his support of President Trump, as well as investor concern over the CEO’s personal use of time between the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Tesla itself.

In a note this week from Wedbush, analyst Dan Ives wrote:

“Musk needs to step up as Tesla CEO at this critical juncture. In a nutshell, the word ‘balance’ has been missing with Elon Musk and his ability to run Tesla as CEO….while instead focusing all of his energy and time driving his DOGE initiative within the Trump Administration. Since Trump’s White House 2nd term kicked off in January, we have seen Musk and Trump connected at the hip with Musk essentially living at the White House and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. There has been little to no sign of Musk at any Tesla factory or manufacturing facility the last two months and perception has become reality for Tesla shares. Trump getting elected President was a huge moment for Musk and Tesla in our view as this will create the fast track for an autonomous federal roadmap…however the DOGE efforts have now intertwined Tesla into this brewing political firestorm.”

Wednesday’s slight bump for Tesla shares is likely related to the support the company received from President Trump yesterday, who purchased a Model S sedan at the White House and pledged to pay for it with a check.

President Donald Trump buys a Tesla at the White House – Here’s which model he chose

The move was one that signaled a buying spree from high-profile Republicans, including Sean Hannity, among others, who announced their support for Musk and Tesla:

As promised yesterday, I Just ordered my new self driving Tesla! Over 1000HP, 0-60 in 2.0 seconds!
Details on how to win the Tesla of your Choice soon on https://t.co/9hkyEX1UVi! pic.twitter.com/PSCCtUsXK2
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) March 11, 2025
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