

Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) Q4 Full Year 2020 Earnings: What to expect
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) ended the past year on a high note, with the electric car maker announcing that it had hit its ambitious, self-imposed target of producing and delivering half a million cars within 2020. With these results in mind, as well as the momentum of TSLA stock that it built up over the past quarters, expectations are high that Tesla’s numbers will be impressive this Q4 FY 2020 as well.
Analysts are expecting a notable rise in TSLA’s adjusted earnings per share on strong revenue growth compared to the year-ago quarter. Here’s a quick list of what the EV community may expect from Tesla’s Q4 FY 2020 earnings call.
Revenue
Following a record quarter, analysts are expecting Tesla to maintain its profitability this Q4 2020. Wall Street’s current consensus for Tesla’s Q4 2020 revenue stands at $10.473 billion, while Estimize, a crowdsourced platform that aggregates estimates from analysts, executives, fund managers, and academics, expects Tesla to post revenue of $10.657 billion.
Earnings Per Share
With its momentum over the past quarters, Tesla is expected to post an earnings per share of $1.04, as per Wall Street consensus. Estimize, on the other hand, lists its Q4 2020 prediction for Tesla’s EPS at a more optimistic $1.08 per share.
Tesla Model S and Model X refresh
Apart from its financials, Tesla is expected to reveal some details on the company’s flagship vehicles, whose production was suspended late last month. Amidst rumors of an impending “refresh” for the Model S and Model X, as well as sightings of apparent test mules of the updated flagship sedan around the Fremont factory, there seems to be a pretty fair chance that Tesla would discuss its plans for the two vehicles in the Q4 FY 2020 earnings call.
4680 Battery Cell Production Update
Tesla’s Battery Day event announced the company’s custom-designed 4680 cells, and since then, the electric car maker has gone on a hiring spree for its battery team, both in the United States and in foreign countries. With Gigafactory Berlin poised to start Model Y production later this year, and with the apparent rollout of the Model S and Model X “refresh” in the Fremont factory, Tesla and its executives may share some of its plans for the rollout of its new battery in the upcoming call, including the 4680 cells currently being produced at the Roadrunner site in the Kato Rd. facility.
Full Self-Driving Rollout
Tesla’s FSD beta has been rolled out to a selected group of testers over the past months, and based on videos of the system shared online, it appears that improvements are coming fast. With Tesla’s FSD beta now handling inner-city streets more accurately, and with the system now accomplishing whole drives from city to city without human intervention, Tesla may be planning on rolling out FSD’s more advanced features to more consumers soon. Potential details for such a program, together with updates such as a subscription-based payment model, may also be discussed.
Tesla is expected to hold its Q4 and Full Year 2020 earnings call after markets close on Wednesday, January 27, 2021.
Disclaimer: I am long TSLA.
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Investor's Corner
Tesla could save $2.5B by replacing 10% of staff with Optimus: Morgan Stanley
Jonas assigned each robot a net present value (NPV) of $200,000.

Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) near-term outlook may be clouded by political controversies and regulatory headwinds, but Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas sees a glimmer of opportunity for the electric vehicle maker.
In a new note, the Morgan Stanley analyst estimated that Tesla could save $2.5 billion by replacing just 10% of its workforce with its Optimus robots, assigning each robot a net present value (NPV) of $200,000.
Morgan Stanley highlights Optimus’ savings potential
Jonas highlighted the potential savings on Tesla’s workforce of 125,665 employees in his note, suggesting that the utilization of Optimus robots could significantly reduce labor costs. The analyst’s note arrived shortly after Tesla reported Q2 2025 deliveries of 384,122 vehicles, which came close to Morgan Stanley’s estimate and slightly under the consensus of 385,086.
“Tesla has 125,665 employees worldwide (year-end 2024). On our calculations, a 10% substitution to humanoid at approximately ($200k NPV/humanoid) could be worth approximately $2.5bn,” Jonas wrote, as noted by Street Insider.
Jonas also issued some caution on Tesla Energy, whose battery storage deployments were flat year over year at 9.6 GWh. Morgan Stanley had expected Tesla Energy to post battery storage deployments of 14 GWh in the second quarter.
Musk’s political ambitions
The backdrop to Jonas’ note included Elon Musk’s involvement in U.S. politics. The Tesla CEO recently floated the idea of launching a new political party, following a poll on X that showed support for the idea. Though a widely circulated FEC filing was labeled false by Musk, the CEO does seem intent on establishing a third political party in the United States.
Jonas cautioned that Musk’s political efforts could divert attention and resources from Tesla’s core operations, adding near-term pressure on TSLA stock. “We believe investors should be prepared for further devotion of resources (financial, time/attention) in the direction of Mr. Musk’s political priorities which may add further near-term pressure to TSLA shares,” Jonas stated.
Investor's Corner
Two Tesla bulls share differing insights on Elon Musk, the Board, and politics
Two noted Tesla bulls have shared differing views on the recent activities of CEO Elon Musk and the company’s leadership.

Two noted Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) bulls have shared differing views on the recent activities of CEO Elon Musk and the company’s leadership.
While Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called on Tesla’s board to take concrete steps to ensure Musk remains focused on the EV maker, longtime Tesla supporter Cathie Wood of Ark Invest reaffirmed her confidence in the CEO and the company’s leadership.
Ives warns of distraction risk amid crucial growth phase
In a recent note, Ives stated that Tesla is at a critical point in its history, as the company is transitioning from an EV maker towards an entity that is more focused on autonomous driving and robotics. He then noted that the Board of Directors should “act now” and establish formal boundaries around Musk’s political activities, which could be a headwind on TSLA stock.
Ives laid out a three-point plan that he believes could ensure that the electric vehicle maker is led with proper leadership until the end of the decade. First off, the analyst noted that a new “incentive-driven pay package for Musk as CEO that increases his ownership of Tesla up to ~25% voting power” is necessary. He also stated that the Board should establish clear guidelines for how much time Musk must devote to Tesla operations in order to receive his compensation, and a dedicated oversight committee must be formed to monitor the CEO’s political activities.
Ives, however, highlighted that Tesla should move forward with Musk at its helm. “We urge the Board to act now and move the Tesla story forward with Musk as CEO,” he wrote, reiterating its Outperform rating on Tesla stock and $500 per share price target.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to Ives’ suggestions with a brief comment on X. “Shut up, Dan,” Musk wrote.
Cathie Wood reiterates trust in Musk and Tesla board
Meanwhile, Ark Investment Management founder Cathie Wood expressed little concern over Musk’s latest controversies. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Wood said, “We do trust the board and the board’s instincts here and we stay out of politics.” She also noted that Ark has navigated Musk-related headlines since it first invested in Tesla.
Wood also pointed to Musk’s recent move to oversee Tesla’s sales operations in the U.S. and Europe as evidence of his renewed focus in the electric vehicle maker. “When he puts his mind on something, he usually gets the job done,” she said. “So I think he’s much less distracted now than he was, let’s say, in the White House 24/7,” she said.
TSLA stock is down roughly 25% year-to-date but has gained about 19% over the past 12 months, as noted in a StocksTwits report.
Investor's Corner
Cantor Fitzgerald maintains Tesla (TSLA) ‘Overweight’ rating amid Q2 2025 deliveries
Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for the electric vehicle maker.

Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), reiterating its “Overweight” rating and $355 price target amidst the company’s release of its Q2 2025 vehicle delivery and production report.
Tesla delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2 2025, falling below last year’s Q2 figure of 443,956 units. Despite softer demand in some countries in Europe and ongoing controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk, the firm maintained its view that Tesla is a long-term growth story in the EV sector.
Tesla’s Q2 results
Among the 384,122 vehicles that Tesla delivered in the second quarter, 373,728 were Model 3 and Model Y. The remaining 10,394 units were attributed to the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. Production was largely flat year-over-year at 410,244 units.
In the energy division, Tesla deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage in Q2, which was above last year’s 9.4 GWh. Overall, Tesla continues to hold a strong position with $95.7 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and a 17.7% gross margin, as noted in a report from Investing.com.
Tesla’s stock is still volatile
Tesla’s market cap fell to $941 billion on Monday amid volatility that was likely caused in no small part by CEO Elon Musk’s political posts on X over the weekend. Musk has announced that he is forming the America Party to serve as a third option for voters in the United States, a decision that has earned the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Despite Musk’s controversial nature, some analysts remain bullish on TSLA stock. Apart from Cantor Fitzgerald, Canaccord Genuity also reiterated its “Buy” rating on Tesla shares, with the firm highlighting the company’s positive Q2 vehicle deliveries, which exceeded its expectations by 24,000 units. Cannacord also noted that Tesla remains strong in several markets despite its year-over-year decline in deliveries.
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