

Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) shows volatility amid updates to Model 3, S, X prices and variants
Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) are showing volatility on Tuesday as the electric car maker introduced its most recent adjustments on the prices and variants of its Model 3, S, and X lineup. These changes come amidst an update from Moody’s Investors Service, which recently upgraded Tesla Auto Shares Trust’s 2019-A Notes.
Tesla’s updates to its electric car lineup on Tuesday draws a clear line distinguishing the company’s entry-level Model 3 sedan to the flagship Model S sedan and Model X SUV. As per Tesla’s official website, the Model 3 Standard Plus now costs $38,990, the Long Range Dual Motor AWD costs $47,990, and the Dual Motor Performance costs $54,990. All of these prices include basic Autopilot as standard.
Just as stated by Elon Musk in a previous tweet, the Model 3’s default color has now been changed to White. So far, the Tesla website lists Pearl White Multi-Coat as the vehicle’s standard color, instead of the Simple White mentioned by Elon Musk on his earlier tweet. The Model 3 Standard Range, which does not have basic Autopilot bundled in, remains available as an off-menu item for North America.
Tesla’s updated lineup and prices for the Model X, Model S, and Model 3 as of July 16, 2019. (Credit: Tesla)
The Standard Range versions of the Model S and Model X have both been discontinued, with the company keeping only the Long Range and Performance versions of the two vehicles available. What is notable is that the Model S and Model X Performance now come with Ludicrous Mode, formerly a $20,000 optional upgrade, as standard.
Tesla’s recent changes to its electric car lineup appear to have polarized the company’s shareholders, potentially resulting in the volatility being displayed by TSLA shares on Tuesday. Yet, it is pertinent to note that these recent price adjustments are also likely motivated by the reduction of the US federal tax credit, which dropped to just $1,875 per vehicle starting this month.
With these recent price adjustments, Tesla has made the Model 3 an incredibly compelling vehicle for prospective car buyers. At less than $55,000 before incentives, after all, customers can get a car that accelerates at near-supercar level with the Model 3 Performance. There are hardly any other vehicles in the market that could compare to the bang-for-your-buck value of a Model 3 Standard Range Plus as well, which offers basic Autopilot at a price point below $39,000.
With their higher entry price, Model S and Model X orders could see a decline due to these adjustments, especially considering that the Standard Range variants of the flagship sedan and SUV have reportedly been quite popular among customers. Nevertheless, the free Ludicrous Mode upgrade could also result in more orders for the top-tier Model S and Model X Performance, both of which have generous gross margins.
Amidst the news of Tesla’s updated electric car lineup, the company’s Auto Lease Trust 2018-A Notes were recently upgraded by Moody’s Investors Service. In its announcement, Moody’s noted that the upgrades were “prompted by strong residual value performance of the underlying lease contracts and accretion of credit enhancement due to the sequential pay structure in addition to non-declining reserve account and overcollateralization.”
As of writing, TSLA stock is trading at -1.07% at $250.79 per share.
Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.
Investor's Corner
Stifel raises Tesla price target by 9.8% over FSD, Robotaxi advancements
Stifel also maintained a “Buy” rating for the electric vehicle maker.

Investment firm Stifel has raised its price target for Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares to $483 from $440 over increased confidence in the company’s self-driving and Robotaxi programs. The new price target suggests an 11.5% upside from Tesla’s closing price on Tuesday.
Stifel also maintained a “Buy” rating despite acknowledging that Tesla’s timeline for fully unsupervised driving may be ambitious.
Building confidence
In a note to clients, Stifel stated that it believes “Tesla is making progress with modest advancements in its Robotaxi network and FSD,” as noted in a report from Investing.com. The firm expects unsupervised FSD to become available for personal use in the U.S. by the end of 2025, with a wider ride-hailing rollout potentially covering half of the U.S. population by year-end.
Stifel also noted that Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet could expand from “tiny to gigantic” within a short time frame, possibly making a material financial impact to the company by late 2026. The firm views Tesla’s vision-based approach to autonomy as central to this long-term growth, suggesting that continued advancements could unlock new revenue streams across both consumer and mobility sectors.
Tesla’s FSD goals still ambitious
While Stifel’s tone remains optimistic, the firm’s analysts acknowledged that Tesla’s aggressive autonomy timeline may face execution challenges. The note described the 2025 unsupervised FSD target as “a stretch,” though still achievable in the medium term.
“We believe Tesla is making progress with modest advancements in its Robotaxi network and FSD. The company has high expectations for its camera-based approach including; 1) Unsupervised FSD to be available for personal use in the United States by year-end 2025, which appears to be a stretch but seems more likely in the medium term; 2) that it will ‘probably have ride hailing in probably half of the populations of the U.S. by the end of the year’,” the firm noted.
Investor's Corner
Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirms bullish view on Tesla after record Q3 deliveries
The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target.

Cantor Fitzgerald is maintaining its bullish outlook on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) following the company’s record-breaking third quarter of 2025.
The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target, citing strong delivery results driven by a rush of consumer purchases ahead of the end of the federal tax credit on September 30.
On Tesla’s vehicle deliveries in Q3 2025
During the third quarter of 2025, Tesla delivered a total of 497,099 vehicles, significantly beating analyst expectations of 443,079 vehicles. As per Cantor Fitzgerald, this was likely affected by customers rushing at the end of Q3 to purchase an EV due to the end of the federal tax credit, as noted in an Investing.com report.
“On 10/2, TSLA pre-announced that it delivered 497,099 vehicles in 3Q25 (its highest quarterly delivery in company history), significantly above Company consensus of 443,079, and above 384,122 in 2Q25. This was due primarily to a ‘push forward effect’ from consumers who rushed to purchase or lease EVs ahead of the $7,500 EV tax credit expiring on 9/30,” the firm wrote in its note.
A bright spot in Tesla Energy
Cantor Fitzgerald also highlighted that while Tesla’s full-year production and deliveries would likely fall short of 2024’s 1.8 million total, Tesla’s energy storage business remains a bright spot in the company’s results.
“Tesla also announced that it had deployed 12.5 GWh of energy storage products in 3Q25, its highest in company history vs. our estimate/Visible Alpha consensus of 11.5/10.9 GWh (and vs. ~6.9 GWh in 3Q24). Tesla’s Energy Storage has now deployed more products YTD than all of last year, which is encouraging. We expect Energy Storage revenue to surpass $12B this year, and to account for ~15% of total revenue,” the firm stated.
Tesla’s strong Q3 results have helped lift its market capitalization to $1.47 trillion as of writing. The company also teased a new product reveal on X set for October 7, which the firm stated could serve as another near-term catalyst.
Investor's Corner
Tesla just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear just a day after it announced its strongest quarter in terms of vehicle deliveries and energy deployments.
JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla shares from $115 to $150. It maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the stock.
Despite Tesla reporting 497,099 deliveries, about 12 percent above the 443,000 anticipated from the consensus, JPMorgan is still skeptical that the company can keep up its momentum, stating most of its Q3 strength came from leaning on the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which expired on September 30.
Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025
The firm said Tesla benefited from a “temporary stronger-than-expected industry-wide pull-forward” as the tax credit expired. It is no secret that consumers flocked to the company this past quarter to take advantage of the credit.
The bump will need to be solidified as the start of a continuing trend of strong vehicle deliveries, the firm said in a note to investors. Analysts said that one quarter of strength was “too soon to declare Tesla as having sustainably returned to growth in its core business.”
JPMorgan does not anticipate Tesla having strong showings with vehicle deliveries after Q4.
There are two distinct things that stick out with this note: the first is the lack of recognition of other parts of Tesla’s business, and the confusion that surrounds future quarters.
JPMorgan did not identify Tesla’s strength in autonomy, energy storage, or robotics, with autonomy and robotics being the main focuses of the company’s future. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi efforts are incredibly relevant and drive more impact moving forward than vehicle deliveries.
Additionally, the confusion surrounding future delivery numbers in quarters past Q3 is evident.
Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might
Tesla will receive some assistance from deliveries of vehicles that will reach customers in Q4, but will still qualify for the credit under the IRS’s revised rules. It will also likely introduce an affordable model this quarter, which should have a drastic impact on deliveries depending on pricing.
Tesla shares are trading at $422.40 at 2:35 p.m. on the East Coast.
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