

Investor's Corner
Tesla investors get a “window of opportunity” amid Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover
On Monday, November 14, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock closed at $190.95, 2.56% down compared to the previous close at $195.97. However, Morgan Stanley believes the decline in TSLA’s share price over the past few weeks may not be all bad for Tesla investors.
Tesla stock has been dropping lately. Some investors and financial experts are pinning Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover as the cause of TSLA’s recent decrease.
Last Wednesday, Tesla shares dropped significantly, closing at $177.59, the lowest since November 2020. At the time, Elon Musk disclosed the sale of about $4 billion worth of TSLA stock. In an all-hands meeting with Twitter the following day, Musk explained that he sold Tesla shares to “save” Twitter.
Throughout his quest to take over Twitter, Elon Musk has offloaded TSLA shares multiple times this year. In April, He sold about $8.5 billion worth of Tesla shares, and then another $6.9 billion shares in August.
Morgan Stanley’s Tesla Take
Morgan Stanley has a $150 bear case for Tesla. However, the investment bank believes Tesla’s recent price drop is a “window of opportunity opening for prospective Tesla investors.” Morgan Stanley thinks Tesla sentiment and decelerating EV demand might challenge its bear case before the end of 2022.
Tesla recently cut its prices in China. Morgan Stanley predicts that the company would also slash car prices in Germany as Giga Berlin reaches 5,000 vehicle production per week. It also expects Tesla to cut prices in the United States in the first half of 2023. The price cuts may be an opportunity for prospective Tesla customers.
Twitter and Tesla
In a recent note to investors, Morgan Stanley (MS) analyst Adam Jonas wrote that investors are concerned about the effects “consumer sentiment” might have on Tesla’s business in the near term. Jonas wrote that consumer sentiments could materialize in several areas, namely:
- Consumer sentiment/demand.
- Commercial partnerships.
- Government relationships and support.
- Investor sentiment and capital markets participation
“Controversy creates uncertainty…In our opinion, one of the main drivers of Tesla shares to ‘tera-cap’ status in recent years was the ability for investors to confidently model the economic outlook for the company’s core EV and energy storage businesses supported by a favorable economic backdrop. In recent weeks, this confidence has been tested, and we believe will continue to be tested through year-end,” wrote Jonas.
Twitter Controversy
Twitter has become a controversial topic in recent weeks. Some Tesla investors have reservations about how Musk plans to monetize the platform and use it as a space for free speech.
Consumer and Investor Sentiment
MS believes some customers and investors might want to distance themselves from any Twitter controversy. Elon Musk’s involvement in Twitter has led some to question their ties to Tesla, although the two companies are entirely separate.
Morgan Stanley believes that Tesla still needs support from investors to surpass its current market cap. As of writing, Tesla’s market cap stands at $602.97 billion.
Commercial Partnerships
Tesla prides itself as a self-reliant, vertically integrated company. But it still relies on commercial partnerships with companies that might want to distance themselves from controversy.
Although, usually, association with Tesla has proven beneficial to other companies. For instance, mining companies who have struck deals with Tesla often also strike deals with other automakers.
Government Support
Elon Musk’s recent activity on Twitter and changes to the platform have also created some tension between the Tesla CEO and some political leaders in the United States.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden commented that Musk’s relationships with other nations needed observation. Musk’s ties to other countries are heavily related to Tesla’s operations, considering the company has gigafactories in China and Germany.
Musk’s ties to other nations and his political opinions on Twitter have contributed to the controversy surrounding Musk, the platform, and, in extension, Tesla.
Disclosure: I am long TSLA.
The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com or reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com.
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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