

Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) is best bought on recent ‘market dislocation,’ says Wall St
Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) recently received an updated outlook from Piper Sandler, with analyst Alexander Potter emphasizing the electric car maker’s long-term perspective in a recent note. According to the analyst, TSLA should be bought on current “market dislocation,” particularly as the electric car maker’s overall prospects remain stable.
Potter actually lowered Piper Sandler’s price target on TSLA from $928 to $820 per share. That’s still a potential 36% upside from Tesla stock’s closing price of $528 per share on Thursday. But despite his lower price target on TSLA shares, Potter kept his “Overweight” rating on the stock.
In a recent note, Potter stated that Tesla investors should be using the recent market dislocation to buy TSLA. He added that while the electric car maker’s Q1 2020 results will most certainly reveal a downside versus published consensus, the company’s long-term positioning remains effective.
The analyst further noted that Tesla’s “recently-fortified” balance sheet should provide ample liquidity to the electric car maker. This is especially advantageous for Tesla since the company has no major debt maturities to address until March 2021. Lastly, Potter stated that Tesla benefits from company-specific tailwinds that should partially offset macro weaknesses.
The Piper Sandler analyst’s estimates about Tesla’s long-term prospects seem to be a solid argument, especially considering the company’s current lineup of vehicles and its overseas activities. Tesla has recently started deliveries of the Model Y crossover, for example, and that vehicle could prove to be the electric car maker’s most disruptive EV yet.
The Model Y shares 75% of its parts with the Model 3 sedan, a car that Tesla spent years perfecting on the production line. This means that the Model Y’s design and production are built on every lesson that the company learned over the Model 3 ramp. Several innovations were also rolled out to the Y, such as a new heat pump system, a radar heater, and a new body cast design. All these would likely allow Tesla to optimize the Model Y for maximum profitability.
Overseas, Tesla is also putting the pedal to the metal. After successfully battling the coronavirus outbreak in its Gigafactory 3 facility, Tesla has resumed full operations on the Shanghai-based site. Made-in-China Model 3 production has reportedly hit 3,000 per week, and construction on the massive Phase 2 zone of the plant is accelerating. Even in Brandenburg, where Gigafactory Berlin is poised to be built, ground clearing activities have continued, hinting at progress on the site despite Europe’s current situation with the coronavirus.
Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.
Elon Musk
Tesla sits at a ‘crossroads,’ Wedbush says by listing six negatives
Wedbush is still bullish on Tesla, but says Elon Musk needs to make a choice between DOGE and the car company.

According to Wedbush, Tesla is sitting at a “crossroads” as it nears its Q1 2025 Earnings Call on Tuesday.
Although the company’s Earnings Calls have been primarily focused on the financials and accomplishments of the past quarter, Tesla is approaching this one differently.
Tesla has even said that this Earnings Call will feature a “company update,” and as most believe it will detail plans for future models and production timelines, others have different expectations and beliefs over what could be said.
Tesla still on track to release more affordable models in 1H25
Wedbush’s Dan Ives believes Tesla is at a crossroads and outlined his six biggest concerns for the company since CEO Elon Musk took on a role within the White House at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE):
- Tesla has now unfortunately become a political symbol globally of the Trump Administration/DOGE
- Tesla’s stock has been crushed since Trump stepped back into the White House
- Brand damage to Musk/Tesla resulted in a terrible 1Q delivery number, with much lower 2025 deliveries on the horizon
- Protests and violence against Tesla dealerships/owners have erupted around the globe
- 25% auto tariffs have been enacted, delaying future lower-cost models for Tesla, even though Musk is vocally against the tariffs for obvious reasons
- Potentially 15%-20% permanent demand destruction for future Tesla buyers due to the brand damage Musk has created with DOGE
Ives has held onto the idea that Musk’s involvement has made Tesla synonymous with the Trump administration, but that only seems to be true for those who share ideologies that oppose what the White House is doing.
Others are able to differentiate between the two, noting that Tesla is not a Trump organization, and vice versa.
Of course, there are negative sides to Musk splitting his time between the two and having ties to the President. Politically, it is hard to appease everyone.
Despite this, Wedbush’s Ives said the firm still remains bullish on Tesla:
“So why stay bullish? It’s a great question. We believe Tesla along with Nvidia are two of the most disruptive technology companies on the globe over the coming years. The unparalleled innovation, engineering scale, autonomous roadmap, and robotics future will unleash massive valuation upside over the coming years in our view. BUT….Musk needs to leave the government, take a major step back on DOGE, and get back to being CEO of Tesla full-time. Tesla is Musk and Musk is Tesla….and anyone that thinks the brand damage Musk has inflicted is not a real thing….spend some time speaking to car buyers in the US, Europe, and Asia…you will think differently after those discussions.”
Ives said that Musk needs to lay out the timing and rollout plans for the unsupervised Full Self-Driving and for the affordable vehicle platform, which was set for release in the first half of the year.
Investor's Corner
Tesla “best positioned” for Trump tariffs among automakers: analyst
Ives has a price target of $315 per share for the electric vehicle maker.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives recently shared his thoughts about Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) amidst the Trump administration’s tariffs. As per Ives, Tesla is best-positioned relative to its rivals when it comes to the ongoing tariff issue.
Ives has a price target of $315 per share for the electric vehicle maker.
Best Positioned
During an interview with Yahoo Finance, the segment’s hosts asked about his thoughts on Tesla, especially considering Musk’s work with the Trump administration. Musk has previously stated that the effects of tariffs on Tesla are significant due to parts that are imported from abroad.
“When it comes to the tariff issue, they are actually best positioned relative to the Detroit Big Three and others and obviously foreign automakers. Still impacted, Musk has talked about that, in terms of just auto parts,” Ives stated.
China and Musk
Ives also stated that ultimately, a big factor for Tesla in the coming months may be the Chinese market’s reactions to its tariff war. He also noted that the next few quarters will be pivotal for Tesla considering the brand damage that Elon Musk has incited due to his politics and work with the Trump administration.
“When it comes to Tesla, I think the worry is where does retaliatory look like in China, in terms of buying domestic. I think that’s something that’s a play. And they have a pivotal six months head, in terms of what everything we see in Austin, autonomous, and the buildout.
“But the brand issues that Musk self-inflicted is dealing with in terms of demand destruction in Europe and the US. And that’s why this is a key few quarters ahead for Tesla and also for Musk to make, in my opinion, the right decision to take a step back from the administration,” Ives noted.
Investor's Corner
Tesla negativity “priced into the stock at its current levels:” CFRA analyst
The CFRA analyst has given Tesla a price target of $360 per share.

In recent comments to the Schwab Network, CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson stated that a lot of the “negative sentiment towards Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is priced into the stock at its current levels.”
The CFRA analyst has given Tesla a price target of $360 per share.
Q1 A Low Point in Sales
The CFRA analyst stated that Tesla’s auto sales likely bottomed last quarter, as noted in an Insider Monkey report. This was, Nelson noted, due to Q1 typically being the “weakest quarter for automakers.” He also highlighted that all four of Tesla’s vehicle factories across the globe were idled in the first quarter.
While Nelson highlighted the company’s changeover to the new Model Y as a factor in Q1, he also acknowledged the effects of CEO Elon Musk’s politics. The analyst noted that while Tesla lost customers due to Musk’s political opinions, the electric vehicle maker has also gained some new customers in the process.
CFRA’s Optimistic Stance
Nelson also highlighted that Tesla’s battery storage business has been growing steadily over the years, ending its second-best quarter in Q1 2025. The analyst noted that Tesla Energy has higher margins than the company’s electric vehicle business, and Tesla itself has a very strong balance sheet.
The CFRA analyst also predicted that Tesla could gain market share in the United States because it has less exposure to the Trump administration’s tariffs. Teslas are the most American-made vehicles in the country, so the Trump tariffs’ effects on the company will likely be less notable compared to other automakers that produce their cars abroad.
-
News2 weeks ago
I took a Tesla new Model Y Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla’s Giga Texas vehicles now drive themselves to outbound lot
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla’s ecological paradise near Giga Texas takes shape
-
News2 weeks ago
Elon Musk and top Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro lock horns over tariffs
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla adding new safety features for improved emergency detection
-
News2 weeks ago
Anti-Musk protester temporarily arrested in Berlin for poster with Nazi salute
-
News2 weeks ago
Former Tesla executive aims to raise $50 million for energy startup
-
News2 weeks ago
NIO Hong Kong shares rise as CATL eyes stake