Investor's Corner
Tesla’s (TSLA) massive valuation could make S&P 500 inclusion complicated
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to join the S&P 500 on December 21st, making it one of the newest members of the world’s most influential stock index. However, Tesla’s gigantic market capitalization, which has made it the most valuable car company globally, could make the inclusion process slightly more complicated than initially planned.
Tesla’s over $423 billion market cap will make it the largest company ever to be added to the S&P 500 Index. Putting the entire company into the new benchmark would force index-tracking funds to sell upwards of $40 billion in stock to make room for the electric car company. Because of this, the S&P’s overseer and consultant, the S&P Dow Jones Indices, is considering the option of adding Tesla to the index in phases or tranches.
After being snubbed from the index in early September, Tesla is finally getting its shot to join the S&P. But while the company is experiencing an over 400% growth in share price so far this year, adding Tesla in more than one phase seems to be the more favorable scenario. However, the S&P Dow Jones Indices will seek out feedback from investors, questioning them on which strategy is more appealing to them: adding TSLA all at once or in several chunks. It is unknown which companies will be replaced by Tesla, but the S&P plans to name them later.
Howard Silverblatt, a Senior Index Analyst at S&P Dow Jones, stated that the decision to add the electric automaker wasn’t a simple one, especially considering the magnitude of Tesla’s inclusion. “It wasn’t easy to make such an important decision, and this decision has a big impact,” he said. Silverblatt added that getting insight from investors will assist in the decision-making process.
“An open-ended dialog with investors will only help. You can’t put a company in at such a high level just like you would any other firm. The times have changed, the magnitude of the stocks that are being added has changed, too,” he added.
Tesla will end up likely being one of the top 10 largest stocks in the S&P when it joins the index on December 21st, Bloomberg reported. Estimating that it will fall in between Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble Co., Tesla’s valuation would be the equivalent of the 60 smallest stocks in the benchmark. However, S&P Dow Jones uses a float-adjusted market-cap to determine the weight instead of the straight figure.
When the S&P 500 is reshuffled, which happens on a quarterly basis to rebalance the index, changes occur due to fluctuations in a company’s size. Depending on growth or a reduction of size, some stocks may move from the S&P’s small-cap index to the large-cap, or vice versa.
In Tesla’s circumstance, no company that will be removed is large enough to offset the automaker’s inclusion into the S&P 500. This is why the index’s overseer is considering adding the company in more than one tranche.
Lawrence Creatura, a portfolio manager at PRSPCTV Capital LLC, told Bloomberg that this is effectively “trading a pawn on the chessboard for a queen.”
“The size of Tesla as it’s being included in the index is much larger relative to the company that is likely to come out. That’s going to create a lot of shuffling among passive funds that track the S&P 500 explicitly,” Creatura also said.
On the news that TSLA would join the S&P on Monday evening, shares of the automaker’s stock spiked over 13% in after-hours trading. At the time of writing, TSLA shares were trading at $444.10, up over 9%.
After finally attaining the four consecutive profitable quarter threshold required to join the index, Tesla is riding a strong stream of momentum heading into the end of 2020. In its most successful year as a company yet, Tesla plans to close out 2020 with a bang by accomplishing its 500,000 vehicle delivery mark, which was set at the beginning of the year before the COVID-19 pandemic began. With increased production and growing demand, Tesla could reach a one million car a year production and delivery rate, surging the popularity and adoption of electric cars and phasing out the use of petrol-powered engines.
Disclaimer: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.
Investor's Corner
Ron Baron states Tesla and SpaceX are lifetime investments
Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says he isn’t touching a single share of his personal Tesla holdings despite the recent selloff in the tech sector. Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Baron doubles down on Tesla
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Baron stated that he is largely unfazed by the market downturn, describing his approach during the selloff as simply “looking” for opportunities. He emphasized that Tesla remains the centerpiece of his long-term strategy, recalling that although Baron Funds once sold 30% of its Tesla position due to client pressure, he personally refused to trim any of his personal holdings.
“We sold 30% for clients. I did not sell personally a single share,” he said. Baron’s exposure highlighted this stance, stating that roughly 40% of his personal net worth is invested in Tesla alone. The legendary investor stated that he has already made about $8 billion from Tesla from an investment of $400 million when he started, and believes that figure could rise fivefold over the next decade as the company scales its technology, manufacturing, and autonomy roadmap.
A lifelong investment
Baron’s commitment extends beyond Tesla. He stated that he also holds about 25% of his personal wealth in SpaceX and another 35% in Baron mutual funds, creating a highly concentrated portfolio built around Elon Musk–led companies. During the interview, Baron revisited a decades-old promise he made to his fund’s board when he sought approval to invest in publicly traded companies.
“I told the board, ‘If you let me invest a certain amount of money, then I will promise that I won’t sell any of my stock. I will be the last person out of the stock,’” he said. “I will not sell a single share of my shares until my clients sold 100% of their shares. … And I don’t expect to sell in my lifetime Tesla or SpaceX.”
Watch Ron Baron’s CNBC interview below.
@teslarati :rotating_light: This is why you need to use off-peak rates at Tesla Superchargers! #tesla #evcharging #fyp ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Elon Musk
‘You chose ambition’: Tesla Chair hails shareholders for backing Elon Musk’s vision
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a letter to shareholders celebrating what she described as “overwhelming support” at this year’s Annual Meeting, framing the approval of Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar pay plan as a defining moment in Tesla’s mission.
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Denholm hails shareholder confidence
In her letter, which was posted by the electric vehicle maker on X through Tesla’s official handle, Denholm thanked investors for backing Proposals One, Three, and Four, items she said reaffirm Tesla’s “Master Plan Part IV” and its broader mission to accelerate sustainable prosperity. She characterized the shareholder vote as “a vote of confidence in our visionary leader, Elon,” crediting Musk with transforming Tesla into one of the most valuable companies in history.
“In a year when many tried to sow doubt and negativity, you chose a better future,” Denholm wrote. “You chose ambition. You chose to see what is possible. You chose to back the people who have been in the room since the earliest days, fighting for the mission that first brought us all together—a better world for humanity,” she wrote in her letter.
Her comments framed Musk’s pay package approval not only as a governance milestone but as a symbolic endorsement of Tesla’s long-term trajectory across autonomy, AI, and energy innovation.
“A whole new book” of innovation
Denholm highlighted Tesla’s push toward autonomy as the company’s next major growth phase, citing the Robotaxi program and Optimus humanoid robot as examples of bringing artificial intelligence “into the physical world.” She described this period as potentially “the largest value-creation event in Tesla’s history, and quite possibly in the history of humanity.”
The letter reaffirmed the board’s commitment to direct engagement with shareholders through Tesla’s online platform and live events. Denholm emphasized that feedback from investors “informs our strategy and strengthens us” as Tesla prepares for new technology rollouts and expanded AI capabilities.
“You, our shareholders, have given us the mandate and the runway to execute. We are humbled, and rest assured that we do not take that responsibility lightly… Thank you for believing in Tesla. Thank you for standing with us. We look forward to years of bold leadership and pioneering innovation, fueled by our commitment to creating a better future for all,” she wrote.
Elon Musk
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey endorses Elon Musk Tesla pay package
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey has publicly backed Elon Musk’s leadership ahead of Tesla’s pivotal shareholder vote, which is expected to be decided later today at the company’s 2025 annual meeting.
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Dorsey’s public nod framed as an engineering defense of Musk
In a post on X, Dorsey weighed in on Tesla’s post about being in a “critical inflection point.” As per the Twitter-co-founder, the vote on Musk’s 2025 performance award is not about compensation. Instead, it’s about ensuring the path for the company’s engineering in the coming years.
“This is not about compensation. it’s about ensuring a principled (and exciting!) engineering approach to the company’s future,” Dorsey wrote on his post, later stating that users of Cash app with TSLA shares would be able to vote for the CEO’s proposed 2025 performance award.
Elon Musk appreciated Dorsey’s endorsement, responding to the Twitter co-founder’s post with a heart emoji. Musk has been pretty thankful for the support for is fellow tech executives, also thanking Michael Dell recently, who also advocated for its proposed 2025 performance award.
Musk’s support
While Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award has received opposition from proxy advisors such as Glass Lewis and ISS, it has received quite a lot of support from longtime bulls such as ARK Invest, and, more recently, Schwab Asset Management following calls from TSLA retail shareholders.
“Schwab Asset Management’s approach to voting on proxy matters is thorough and deliberate. We utilize a structured process that focuses on protecting and promoting shareholder value. We apply our own internal guidelines and do not rely on recommendations from Glass Lewis or ISS. In accordance with this process, Schwab Asset Management intends to vote in favor of the 2025 CEO performance award proposal. We firmly believe that supporting this proposal aligns both management and shareholder interests, ensuring the best outcome for all parties involved,” Charles Schwab told Teslarati.
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