Did The Appointment Open A Window Of Opportunity For Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)?
Shares of Tesla got an instant lift after President-elect Donald Trump included Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk to its business advisory team. The announcement apparently showered interest among investors. Will the gains last considering the emergence of various autopilot and electric vehicles?
Tesla Has Got Musk
Tesla was trading in a tight trading range as it stayed intact at 200.00 levels from the previous sessions. With a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, the American automaker managed to drive along amid the market volatilities appeared in the last few months.
The fluctuation of the US currency, Brexit vote and the skepticism over the OPEC output curb affected the profitability of the company. In the second quarter, the company failed to meet the number of deliveries, however, Tesla surprised the market with a better-than-expected number of deliveries in the third quarter.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has shown a huge mastery on how to handle the company. After the accidents involving the Model S and Model X, the optimism of the investors came back on the SolarCity deal. Although there were doubts over the impact that the solar batteries could bring, the stock eventually advanced.
Trump must have captured the expertise of Elon Musk to sway away the negative notions and put the game back on the right track. The inclusion to Trump’s business council came as a surprise together with other hand-picked executives. Musk has been pushing sustainable energy solutions to address the climate change – something that Trump was not very vocal about.
On the other hand, Trump and Musk probably have the same thinking in terms of the potential of NASA. Musk has been expanding the horizon of space travel through the agency while Trump believes in the capability of NASA to lead major space missions.
Now, what is it for Tesla? Apart from the having a huge connection with the government, the appointment of Musk validated the strength of Tesla to weather any market turbulence. If Musk got the trust of the president, what more in the part of the investors?
Tight Competition
Meanwhile, Tesla has been joggling along with the other automaker in terms of electric vehicle and autopilot technology. Recently, Google has changed the direction of the development of its self-driving cars.
Alphabet left the race and focused more on creating a mobile which contains retrofitting sensors with the help of its Fiat Chrysler partnership. A month ago, it was Jaguar who raised the competition against the Tesla with its I-Pace e-vehicle.
The new concept of the British company provided an advanced take on the battery-powered electric vehicle. Nonetheless, the effect of this new unit in the entire automobile market couldn’t be predicted yet for it is set to hit the road in 2018.
Further, General Motors (NYSE:GM) lauded the market performance of its Chevrolet Bolt. As reported, the company successfully delivered its first three Chevy two days ago in line with the forecast of its CEO Mary Barra. The new Bolt EV comes at $37,495 before a $7,500 federal tax credit while Tesla’s electric sports sedan Model 3 starts with $35,000 before incentives.
Another competitor, Lucid Motors, is set to challenge Tesla’s Model S. The California based electric car company unveiled its Lucid Motors Air, which has a range of 400 miles per charge. The company is supported by its energy partner Samsung SDI (KS:005930) in coming up with a luxury electric sedan.
Initially, the Lucid Air costs more than $100,000, but according to the company a $65,000 model will be released in the future. In comparison, Tesla Model S has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $71,200, including the $1,200 destination charge and excluding tax credits.
Tesla managed to be the pioneer in terms of automotive technology. Despite the advent of new units from different auto companies, the company is still gearing for volume deliveries of the Model 3 in the second half of 2017 as all their units come with hardware with self-driving units.
Stock Performance
During the previous session, Tesla Motors Inc opened 198.87 with a session high of 203.000 and a session low of 196.76. As of 15:12 UTC, the stock added 0.27 percent, to settle at $198.69. The appointment of Elon Musk may continue to lift the stock in the offensive ground in the following sessions.
Currently, Tesla has a 52-week high of -25.31 percent, while its 52-week low stands at 42.62 percent. The stock has a profit margin of -14.70 percent, an operating margin of -11.10 percent and a gross margin of 23.30 percent.
As Tesla implements its growth plans accordingly, it may continue to hit new records for vehicle production, deliveries and revenue. The foundation of the company in the market couldn’t be broken by its competitors instantly. The market acceptance and commercial appeal of Tesla continue to withstand the headwinds. With the construction of its Gigafactory and partnership with SolarCity, Tesla has a lot more to offer.