Musk threatens Apple with legal action over App Store bias towards OpenAI
Piper Sandler reiterated its Overweight rating and $400.00 price target on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Wednesday following reports of driverless Tesla vehicles operating on public streets in Austin, Texas. According to InvestingPro data, Tesla’s stock currently trades at a P/E ratio of 170, reflecting high market expectations for the company’s autonomous driving initiatives.
The research firm highlighted two significant developments: the appearance of autonomous Teslas in Austin and new data from Kelley Blue Book showing rising new car prices across the market.
Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter connected these seemingly unrelated data points, noting that they represent a key component of the firm’s Tesla investment thesis "officially beginning to play out."
The firm expects Tesla stock to "sustain upward momentum in the coming weeks" as more information about the autonomous vehicle testing becomes available, barring any "high-profile robo-taxi accidents."
Piper Sandler cautioned that any significant autonomous driving incidents "would likely be met with violent downside" for the stock, but maintained its positive outlook on Tesla shares.
In other recent news, Tesla announced plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with a tentative start date of June 22. CEO Elon Musk emphasized the company’s cautious approach to safety in the rollout. Meanwhile, Argus Research downgraded Tesla’s stock from Buy to Hold, citing factors like the company’s first-quarter performance in 2025, which fell short of expectations, and ongoing tensions between Musk and former President Trump. Despite these challenges, Argus maintains a long-term Buy rating, highlighting Tesla’s refreshed product line and AI projects as potential positives. Additionally, Tesla’s dominant position in the U.S. EV market, holding approximately 50% market share as of the end of 2024, was noted by Argus. The firm also pointed out the political and market dynamics affecting Tesla’s stock performance. In a separate development, ARK Investment Management projected SpaceX, another Musk-led venture, could reach a $2.5 trillion valuation by 2030, driven by its Starlink satellite network. The firm’s forecast includes potential risks and emphasizes the importance of successful deployment and monetization of SpaceX’s projects.
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