Tesla Stock Roars Back As Some Analysts Buy Into Full Self-Driving Hype

Forbes Business Breaking Tesla Stock Roars Back As Some Analysts Buy Into Full Self-Driving Hype Derek Saul Forbes Staff Derek Saul has covered markets for the Forbes news team since 2021. Following Jul 29, 2024, 12:02pm EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Tesla stock bounced back Monday, gaining almost 5%
Tesla Stock Roars Back As Some Analysts Buy Into Full Self-Driving Hype

Tesla Stock Roars Back As Some Analysts Buy Into Full Self-Driving Hype

Following

Topline

Tesla stock bounced back Monday, gaining almost 5% by midday trading, as bullish Wall Street commentary helped patch investment sentiment for Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker following last week’s brutal post-earnings selloff.

Key Facts

Tesla stock rose about $10 per share to $230, on pace for its best percentage gain since July 3 and posting the sixth-largest gain of any S&P 500 stock Monday, according to FactSet data.

Inching back toward the $246 share price it had before its quarterly earnings last week caused the stock’s worst day since 2020, Tesla stock got a boost from several positive analyst notes.

Morgan Stanley automotives analyst Adam Jonas dubbed Tesla his top car stock pick in a Monday note to clients, citing optimism about Tesla stopping the bleeding in profits due to cost cutting, musing on the potential of Tesla as the “epicenter” of the artificial intelligence robot market and maintaining a Wall Street-leading $310 price target for Tesla (35% implied further upside).

Stifel analyst Stephen Gengaro similarly declared Monday he expects Tesla’s dwindling profit margins “to stabilize,” driving his buy rating for the stock along with the prospect for Tesla’s full self-driving program to be a “significant driver to TSLA’s long-term growth and differentiation.”

Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter was more blunt in his optimism about self-driving bolstering Tesla’s valuation, opening his brief note to clients Monday: “Tesla may have solved the self-driving puzzle, don’t roll your eyes, buy TSLA.”


Key Background

Tesla stock dove 12% last Wednesday after the company reported its fourth-consecutive quarter of negative year-over-year earnings growth, falling a massive 43% from 2023’s second quarter to 2024’s. After declining 23% from 2022 to 2023, Tesla’s profits are expected to decline a further 27% from 2023 to 2024, according to consensus analyst estimates compiled by FactSet, a truly unusual extended slump for a company whose stock is considered high-growth by investors. Tesla’s polarizing CEO Musk has characterized this as a blip for a company between “two growth waves,” and optimistic observers can point to the almost limitless potential for Tesla should it crack the code on its non-traditional projects like autonomous driving or its Optimus humanoid robots. Ford, which Tesla replaced as Morgan Stanley’s top pick, also had a dismal week on the stock market last week, falling 18% after its quarterly results.

Chief Critic

Whether it’s declining earnings, Musk’s outspoken stances on political and social issues or safety concerns regarding its semi-autonomous vehicles already on the road, there’s plenty of ammunition to use against Tesla. Perhaps Tesla’s most prominent skeptic on Wall Street is Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, whose price target of $120 implies a fair valuation of about half of Tesla’s $720 billion market capitalization Monday. Autonomous driving “may not be a winner-take-all market, and if it is, it is not clear that Tesla will win,” remarked Sacconaghi, adding that “growth stocks only work when they grow.”

Further Reading

ForbesElon Musk’s Endorsement Of Trump Could Be A Grave Mistake For Tesla

ForbesHere’s How A Trump Presidency Could Help Tesla Stock Despite His Dire Plans For EVs, Analyst Says

ForbesBillionaire Biden Donor Blasts White House’s Treatment Of Tesla After Musk’s Apparent Trump Donation

Follow me on  Twitter or  LinkedInSend me a secure  tip

Trump Media to the Saudi Arabian influence on golf and what real-life billionaires think of ” Succession.” Send tips to dsaul@forbes.com. Follow Saul for analysis on the biggest daily economic and stock market happenings, ranging from inflation data to tech earnings to deep-dives on hot button assets. 

“>

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply
Related Posts
Southport stabbings: Mother asked for dance class recommendations two days before ‘happy smiley’ daughter, nine, was stabbed to death – as relatives say her parents are ‘not speaking, only crying’
Read More

Southport stabbings: Mother asked for dance class recommendations two days before ‘happy smiley’ daughter, nine, was stabbed to death – as relatives say her parents are ‘not speaking, only crying’

The mother of Southport stabbing victim Alice Aguiar had asked for holiday dance class recommendations just two days before her 'happy, smiley' daughter was killed. Alice, nine, died in the early hours of Tuesday after a hooded knifeman entered the Taylor Swift-themed holiday club and began stabbing the children in attendance, as well as staff
Poll: 54% Say There ‘Was Cover-Up’ of ‘Biden’s Health,’ 92% of Those Say Harris ‘Involved’
Read More

Poll: 54% Say There ‘Was Cover-Up’ of ‘Biden’s Health,’ 92% of Those Say Harris ‘Involved’

Fifty-four percent of registered voters believe there was a “cover-up of President Joe Biden’s health,” a YouGov/the Times poll found this week. Of the 54 percent, 92 percent said Vice President Kamala Harris was “involved,” at least a little, in the coverup. The poll asked respondents, “Do you think there has been a cover-up of Joe Biden’s health?” Yes: 54