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On Thursday, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock received continued support from Piper Sandler, with analyst Alexander Potter reiterating an Overweight rating and a $500.00 price target. Despite Tesla’s fourth-quarter results falling short of expectations, the firm highlighted several positive aspects such as a 19.1% EBITDA margin and more than $2 billion in free cash flow. The company’s gross margin of 18.23% did not meet analyst forecasts, partly due to costs associated with clearing outdated Model Y inventory, which affected pricing. InvestingPro data reveals that Tesla maintains strong financials with more cash than debt on its balance sheet, though it currently suffers from weak gross profit margins.
Potter noted that these setbacks seem to have a limited effect on the long-term investment thesis for Tesla. With a market capitalization of $1.25 trillion and annual revenue of $97.15 billion, the electric vehicle manufacturer is not scaling back on its plans and remains committed to launching new products in the first half of 2025. Moreover, Tesla’s management is optimistic about delivery growth in the coming year, though InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is currently trading above its Fair Value.
The analyst’s commentary also drew attention to Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) software, which has been a subject of bullish sentiment from the company. "Autonomy is upon us!" was a standout remark that reflects the company’s confidence in its technological advancements.
Following the analyst’s reaffirmation of the price target and rating, Tesla’s stock saw a positive reaction in after-hours trading, rising by 4%. This uptick came after the market had time to digest the mixed results from the company’s latest earnings report.
Piper Sandler’s stance indicates a belief in Tesla’s potential to overcome short-term challenges and deliver on its ambitious plans for product launches and delivery growth, backed by advancements in autonomous driving technology. The firm’s Overweight rating suggests that they see Tesla’s stock as a potentially good investment, relative to other companies in the market.
In other recent news, Tesla has reported its Q4 and full-year 2024 financials, revealing an annual revenue of $97.15 billion. In light of these results, Baird has revised Tesla’s stock price target to $440, maintaining an outperform rating, while Jefferies holds a steady price target of $300. Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald maintains a neutral stance with a $365 price target.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has reaffirmed its overweight rating for Tesla, emphasizing the company’s potential in the growing field of embodied artificial intelligence. Among recent developments, Tesla has introduced a new autonomous driving feature within its Fremont facility, marking a step towards Full Self-Driving capabilities.
However, it’s worth noting that this feature is currently limited to a controlled environment within Tesla’s premises. In addition, Tesla faces a complaint from the Union of Swedish Electricians over alleged unauthorized electrical work at its charging stations. Alongside BMW (ETR:BMWG) and several Chinese manufacturers, Tesla is challenging the European Union’s tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.
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