Investor's Corner
Tesla’s (TSLA) Battery Day is charging Jim Cramer’s valuation: “It’s Game, Set, Match”
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) fan and former critic of the company Jim Cramer is looking forward to Battery Day on September 22, and it is fueling his valuation of the automaker who he once considered to be a guaranteed “sell” in the stock market.
An interview with Tesla Daily and TheStreet’s Rob Maurer allowed Cramer to clear the air about his thoughts for the electric car maker. However, looking forward, Cramer is excited for the company’s upcoming Battery Day, because he feels that it could be a key to spiking Tesla’s valuation into the stratosphere.
“What’s key to my valuation, Rob, is what Elon Musk will say on September 22,” Cramer said. Expecting Tesla to roll out a battery cell that could run for ten or twelve hours because of solar energy, Cramer admits he is not familiar with what Musk will unveil during the event. Any way Tesla puts it, Cramer believes it is “Game, Set, Match” for the automotive industry.
Maurer explained the more popular beliefs of Battery Day to Cramer, stating that Tesla will outline its battery strategy for the world to feast on. Additionally, Tesla could explain how it intends to increase annual battery production across all of its products, and not just its cars.
Maurer, like any Tesla enthusiast, knows that a lot of hype surrounds Battery Day. Nobody truly knows what will occur in late September or what the expectations are, but one thing is for sure, Wall Street will have its eyes set in Fremont, where the event is taking place.
-->“I think one thing that investors need to try to understand is really what those expectations are from the broad Wall Street community. Whether they’re expecting some huge technological breakthrough, or whether they’re going to be satisfied with, ‘Okay, here’s our plan to rapidly, capitally efficiently ramp up to a couple of Terawatt hours of battery production.’ I think there is going to be a lot of technological focus, but I think a lot of it is going to be on that capital efficiency and production ramping angle,” Maurer stated.
Ultimately, Tesla wants to increase the longevity of its battery packs, so its vehicles are capable of lasting fifteen or twenty years without having to undergo cell replacements. With that, the company also wants to improve the energy density that its cells can handle, which will lead to increased range within its vehicles.
Cramer, while a Tesla fan, is still an investor, and he believes that his valuation of the company ultimately comes down to what happens on September 22. If Tesla unveils a significant development in terms of its battery goals, the stock will go up. However, he’s advising some investors to proceed with caution, just in case.
“It [Battery Day] may be one of those events where, if you don’t own it, you may want to wait until after, if he doesn’t deliver along the line that people want him to deliver,” Cramer said. “I mean, one of the things I like about Elon Musk is that he’s not thinking about what you want, like Steve Jobs. He’s thinking about what you will want well ahead of when you know it. So he may be over the heads of people on September 22, and that means some people may be disappointed because they didn’t get what they want, not realizing they’re getting twice what they want if they would just shut up and listen.”
This fact leads Cramer to believe that the stock will go higher after Battery Day. Like many people, Battery Day is among Tesla’s most anticipated events in the company’s history because it is more significant than cars and energy storage; it is the future of our planet.
-->The full interview between Rob Maurer and Jim Cramer is available below.
Investor's Corner
Mizuho keeps Tesla (TSLA) “Outperform” rating but lowers price target
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh lowered Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target to $475 from $485, citing potential 2026 EV subsidy cuts in the U.S. and China that could pressure deliveries. The firm maintained its Outperform rating for the electric vehicle maker, however.
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected. The U.S. accounted for roughly 37% of Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 sales, while China represented about 34%, making both markets highly sensitive to policy shifts. Potential 50% cuts to Chinese subsidies and reduced U.S. incentives affected the firm’s outlook.
With those pressures factored in, the firm now expects Tesla to deliver 1.75 million vehicles in 2026 and 2 million in 2027, slightly below consensus estimates of 1.82 million and 2.15 million, respectively. The analyst was cautiously optimistic, as near-term pressure from subsidies is there, but the company’s long-term tech roadmap remains very compelling.
Despite the revised target, Mizuho remained optimistic on Tesla’s long-term technology roadmap. The firm highlighted three major growth drivers into 2027: the broader adoption of Full Self-Driving V14, the expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi service, and the commercialization of Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot.
“We are lowering TSLA Ests/PT to $475 with Potential BEV headwinds in 2026E. We believe into 2026E, US (~37% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) EV subsidy cuts and China (34% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) potential 50% EV subsidy cuts could be a headwind to EV deliveries.
-->“We are now estimating TSLA deliveries for 2026/27E at 1.75M/2.00M (slightly below cons. 1.82M/2.15M). We see some LT drivers with FSD v14 adoption for autonomous, robotaxi launches, and humanoid robots into 2027 driving strength,” the analyst noted.
Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) has landed an elusive “must own” status from Wall Street firm Melius, according to a new note released early this week.
Analyst Rob Wertheimer said Tesla will lead the charge in world-changing tech, given the company’s focus on self-driving, autonomy, and Robotaxi. In a note to investors, Wertheimer said “the world is about to change, dramatically,” because of the advent of self-driving cars.
He looks at the industry and sees many potential players, but the firm says there will only be one true winner:
“Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is.”
The major argument is that autonomy is nearing a tipping point where years of chipping away at the software and data needed to develop a sound, safe, and effective form of autonomous driving technology turn into an avalanche of progress.
Wertheimer believes autonomy is a $7 trillion sector,” and in the coming years, investors will see “hundreds of billions in value shift to Tesla.”
A lot of the major growth has to do with the all-too-common “butts in seats” strategy, as Wertheimer believes that only a fraction of people in the United States have ridden in a self-driving car. In Tesla’s regard, only “tens of thousands” have tried Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) version, which is v14.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 – Full Review, the Good and the Bad
When it reaches a widespread rollout and more people are able to experience Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, he believes “it will shock most people.”
Citing things like Tesla’s massive data pool from its vehicles, as well as its shift to end-to-end neural nets in 2021 and 2022, as well as the upcoming AI5 chip, which will be put into a handful of vehicles next year, but will reach a wider rollout in 2027, Melius believes many investors are not aware of the pace of advancement in self-driving.
Tesla’s lead in its self-driving efforts is expanding, Wertheimer says. The company is making strategic choices on everything from hardware to software, manufacturing, and overall vehicle design. He says Tesla has left legacy automakers struggling to keep pace as they still rely on outdated architectures and fragmented supplier systems.
Tesla shares are up over 6 percent at 10:40 a.m. on the East Coast, trading at around $416.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
-->Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
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