Tesla Shares Surge on Wednesday: Key Factors Behind the Rally

Tesla shares are experiencing a significant surge on Wednesday, following the company’s first-quarter results. CEO Elon Musk announced that he plans to scale back his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency, allowing him to focus more on Tesla.

First-Quarter Results

Financial Overview

  • Total revenue: $19.34 billion (missing analyst estimates of $21.35 billion)
  • Earnings per share: 27 cents (missing analyst estimates of 41 cents per share)
  • Total revenue fell 9% year-over-year
  • Automotive revenue dropped 20% to $13.97 billion

Vehicle Deliveries and Production

  • Delivered 336,681 vehicles in the quarter (below analyst forecasts of 377,592)
  • Produced 362,615 vehicles in the first quarter (down from 433,371 vehicles in the prior year’s quarter)

Guidance and Future Plans

Revised Guidance

  • Tesla refrained from providing guidance and will revisit 2025 guidance when reporting second-quarter results
  • The company is taking actions to stabilize the business in the medium to long-term and focus on maintaining its health

Future Initiatives

  • Elon Musk plans to allocate more time to Tesla, spending only a day or two per week on DOGE initiatives
  • Musk announced that Tesla could produce a million Optimus bots per year as early as 2029
  • The company’s Robotaxi pilot launch in Austin remains on schedule

Analyst Reactions

Price Target Changes

  • Wedbush analyst Dan Ives raised his price target on Tesla to $350
  • Needham analyst Chris Pierce reiterated Tesla with a Hold rating
  • GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson maintained Tesla with a Sell and lowered the price target from $24.86 to $19.05
  • Baird analyst Ben Kallo maintained Tesla with an Outperform and lowered the price target from $370 to $320
  • Canaccord Genuity analyst George Gianarikas maintained Tesla with a Buy and lowered the price target from $404 to $303

Stock Performance

Current Price

  • Tesla shares were up 6.80% at $254.15 at the time of publication on Wednesday

With the company’s revised focus on its core business and promising future initiatives, Tesla’s shares are poised for continued growth and development. As the electric vehicle market continues to evolve, Tesla remains a key player, and its stock performance will likely be closely watched by investors and analysts alike.