Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) can rebound with 10 turnaround ideas, according to a new note from Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
Tesla reported Earnings for Q4 and Full Year 2023 on Wednesday, and after what was widely considered to be a weak conference call, the stock dropped over 12 percent on Thursday.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush who has been routinely bullish on the stock, was one of the most vocal personalities on Wall Street yesterday as varying ideas surrounding the narrative of the Earnings Call circulated.
Ives called the call a “train wreck,” and talked about the lack of information Tesla reported during Earnings. There was no indication of what investors should expect in terms of margins or outlook in production.
Instead, Tesla stated it expected a “notable” drop in growth rate in 2024 as it gears up for its next-generation platform, which it plans to launch in the second half of 2025.
“This was 101 how to not to do a conference call,” Ives commented on Thursday morning. Wedbush removed Tesla stock from its “Best Ideas List” as well.
Tesla Can Rebound with These 10 Things: Wedbush
However, Ives is back with a note on Friday, which he shared with investors. According to the analyst, there are ten ways Tesla can turn around its stock:
- Announce a $10 Billion Share Buyback With Roughly $30 Billion of Cash on hand. Walk the walk, not just talk the talk and show confidence to investors
- Create an “X Holding” Structure That Will Include AI Initiatives (Dojo, Optimus, FSD) to give Musk More Control and could get him to ~25% voting level
- Stop the price cuts now and maintain margin leverage over other auto players
- Hold an AI Day before the summer timeframe so investors can better understand the goals for Dojo, Optimus, FSD
- Get outside capital for X/Twitter with assurances of no more Musk stock sales
- New comp package with the proxy to lock in Musk as CEO Through 2030, along with settling Delaware legal issue holding things up
- Hittable production/delivery timeline for Model 2 and sub $30k vehicle in 2025
- With Zach (former CFO) gone, conference calls have been horror shows; return to formal guidance and goalposts and make messaging changes on calls
- Do an aggressive AI acquisition spree and bring in outside capital to build out the AI component of Tesla…~$30 Billion of cash to fund deals
- Give long-term targets around AI revenue to the Tesla ecosystem. We believe Tesla could be the biggest AI company in the world around FSD, autonomous, Dojo, Optimus, robotaxis…give this key AI framework to the Street/investors
Several of the ideas Ives lists would clarify some skepticism investors may hold after the Earnings Call.
One of the more notable things to recognize on the list is the price cut narrative, which investors continue to focus on. While they are great for consumers, they put pressure on Tesla’s profits, which is why it has continued to be so strong for years.
Additionally, offering CEO Elon Musk a new comp package could alleviate pressure on the stock from his comments last week, where he said he would be “uncomfortable” moving Tesla into more development of AI without greater control.
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Ives reduced his price target on Tesla from $350 to $315 but still holds an ‘Outperform’ rating on the stock.
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Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
Investor's Corner
Tesla wins $508 price target from Stifel as Robotaxi rollout gains speed
The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Tesla received another round of bullish analyst updates this week, led by Stifel, raising its price target to $508 from $483 while reaffirming a “Buy” rating. The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Robotaxi rollout, FSD updates, and new affordable cars
Stifel expects Tesla’s robotaxi fleet to expand into 8–10 major metropolitan areas by the end of 2025, including Austin, where early deployments without safety drivers are targeted before year-end. Additional markets under evaluation include Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, as noted in an Investing.com report. The firm also highlighted strong early performance for FSD Version 14, with upcoming releases adding new “reasoning capabilities” designed to improve complex decision-making using full 360-degree vision.
Tesla has also taken steps to offset the loss of U.S. EV tax credits by launching the Model Y Standard and Model 3 Standard at $39,990 and $36,990, Stifel noted. Both vehicles deliver more than 300 miles of range and are positioned to sustain demand despite shifting incentives. Stifel raised its EBITDA forecasts to $14.9 billion for 2025 and $19.5 billion for 2026, assigning partial valuation weightings to Tesla’s FSD, robotaxi, and Optimus initiatives.
TD Cowen also places an optimistic price target
TD Cowen reiterated its Buy rating with a $509 price target after a research tour of Giga Texas, citing production scale and operational execution as key strengths. The firm posted its optimistic price target following a recent Mobility Bus tour in Austin. The tour included a visit to Giga Texas, which offered fresh insights into the company’s operations and prospects.
Additional analyst movements include Truist Securities maintaining its Hold rating following shareholder approval of Elon Musk’s compensation plan, viewing the vote as reducing leadership uncertainty.
@teslarati Tesla Full Self-Driving yields for pedestrians while human drivers do not…the future is here! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
Investor's Corner
Tesla receives major institutional boost with Nomura’s rising stake
The move makes Tesla Nomura’s 10th-largest holding at about 1% of its entire portfolio.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has gained fresh institutional support, with Nomura Asset Management expanding its position in the automaker.
Nomura boosted its Tesla holdings by 4.2%, adding 47,674 shares and bringing its total position to more than 1.17 million shares valued at roughly $373.6 million. The move makes Tesla Nomura’s 10th-largest holding at about 1% of its entire portfolio.
Institutional investors and TSLA
Nomura’s filing was released alongside several other fund updates. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings by 11.8%, as noted in a MarketBeat report, and Revolve Wealth Partners lifted its TSLA position by 21.2%. Bison Wealth increased its Tesla stake by 52.2%, AMG National Trust Bank increased its position in shares of Tesla by 11.8%, and FAS Wealth Partners increased its TSLA holdings by 22.1%. About 66% of all outstanding Tesla shares are now owned by institutional investors.
The buying comes shortly after Tesla reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $0.50 per share compared with the $0.48 consensus. Revenue reached $28.10 billion, topping Wall Street’s $24.98 billion estimate. Despite the earnings beat, Tesla continues to trade at a steep premium relative to peers, with a market cap hovering around $1.34 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio near 270.
Recent insider sales
Some Tesla insiders have sold stock as of late. CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares in early September for just over $918,000, reducing his personal stake by about 21%. Director James R. Murdoch executed a far larger sale, offloading 120,000 shares for roughly $42 million and trimming his holdings by nearly 15%. Over the past three months, Tesla insiders have collectively sold 202,606 shares valued at approximately $75.6 million, as per SEC disclosures.
Tesla is currently entering its next phase of growth, and if it is successful, it could very well become the world’s most valuable company as a result. The company has several high-profile projects expected to be rolled out in the coming years, including Optimus, the humanoid robot, and the Cybercab, an autonomous two-seater with the potential to change the face of roads across the globe.
@teslarati Tesla Full Self-Driving yields for pedestrians while human drivers do not…the future is here! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
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