Baird upgrades Tesla stock rating to Outperform on AI leadership potential

Published 19/09/2025, 08:18
Baird upgrades Tesla stock rating to Outperform on AI leadership potential

Investing.com - Baird has upgraded Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) from Neutral to Outperform and significantly raised its price target to $548.00 from $320.00. According to InvestingPro data, Tesla currently trades at a P/E ratio of 230, significantly above industry averages, though the company maintains a "Good" financial health score.

The upgrade comes despite Tesla missing estimates for three consecutive quarters, with Baird noting that investor focus has "increasingly shifted to the future" for the electric vehicle maker. With Tesla’s next earnings report due on October 15, InvestingPro subscribers can access 20+ additional key insights and detailed financial metrics to better prepare for this crucial catalyst.

Baird expects Tesla’s sales volumes to "likely decline again in full-year 2025" and anticipates "near-term fundamentals will be choppy," yet still believes the stock will outperform the market.

The firm cited Tesla’s position as "the leader in physical AI" as a key factor in its more bullish outlook, alongside the implications of the company’s recently proposed executive pay package.

Tesla stock has gained 10% year-to-date compared to the S&P 500’s 13% rise, and has surged 24% over the past month versus the broader market’s 3% increase.

In other recent news, Tesla has been in the spotlight with several significant developments. Tesla Inc. reached a confidential settlement with the family of a teenager involved in a 2019 crash with a Model 3 using Autopilot, allowing the company to avoid a jury trial. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs has raised its price target for Tesla to $395, citing higher market multiples and increased forward earnings estimates, while maintaining a Neutral rating. Additionally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased nearly $1 billion worth of company shares, which analysts from William Blair interpreted as a strong signal of confidence in Tesla’s future, especially its robotaxi initiative.

Morgan Stanley has also drawn parallels between the TikTok situation and Tesla’s role in the embodied AI sector, suggesting potential synergies between U.S. technology and Chinese manufacturing capabilities. These developments reflect the broader market’s interest in Tesla’s long-term growth potential and strategic moves.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.