Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) first-quarter deliveries failed to impress investors and pulled down the stock by 6% on Monday. Nonetheless, shares of the Elon Musk-led electric vehicle (EV) maker have rallied 58% since the start of the year. While several Wall Street analysts remain bullish on Tesla, some are concerned about the impact of price wars on margins, the effect of macro woes on EV demand, and Musk’s Twitter, Dogecoin (DOGE-USD), and other distractions.
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Wall Street’s Mixed Reaction to Tesla’s Q1 Update
Tesla’s Q1 2023 deliveries came in at 422,875, up 36% year-over-year and 4% sequentially. The company produced 440,808 vehicles in the quarter. Analysts had mixed reactions to Tesla’s Q1 numbers.
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas reiterated a Buy rating on Tesla with a price target of $220. Jonas feels that the company’s capacity ramp-up at Austin, Fremont, Berlin, and Shanghai facilities could boost deliveries. Nonetheless, Jonas feels that more price cuts might be needed to achieve the higher end of consensus volume expectations, given the “slowing economic environment, increased pressure on financial institutions’ willingness to lend, and competition (BYD and others).”
Like Jonas, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi also thinks that further price cuts are required for Tesla to hit volume targets. However, Sacconaghi, who has a Sell rating on Tesla with a price target of $150, feels that price cuts might incrementally pressure margins.
Meanwhile, Bank of America analyst John Murphy noted that Tesla’s Q1 deliveries missed his estimate of a 40% year-over-year growth and were “well below” the implied 42% growth rate for 2023 based on the company’s 1.8 million units guidance. Further, he highlighted that Q1 numbers were also “well below the long-term mantra” of 50% year-over-year growth.
Murphy also believes that Tesla’s Q1 update led to “many questions about potential growth,” including concerns about a possible saturation in key markets like the U.S. and China. This implies that near-term growth will depend more on expansion in Europe and other markets. Murphy reiterated a Hold rating on the stock with a price target of $225.
Musk’s Distractions and Other Matters
Investors have been concerned that Musk’s distractions, mainly the Twitter acquisition, could be an overhang on Tesla shares. Musk continues to be in the news constantly, sometimes at the cost of Tesla stock.
On Monday, meme coin Dogecoin spiked over 30% after Musk changed Twitter’s blue bird icon with an image of a Shiba Inu, which is the mascot of the digital currency. Last week, attorneys for Twitter and Musk asked a federal judge to throw out a $258 billion lawsuit that accused the billionaire of manipulating Dogecoin’s price. Note that in December 2021, Musk announced that Tesla would accept Dogecoin for some merchandise.
Additionally, lawsuits against Musk and Tesla also continue to bother investors. On Monday, a jury ordered Tesla to pay over $3.2 million in a racial harassment litigation. This fine is a fraction of the initial penalty amount of $137 million.
Is Tesla a Buy, Hold, or Sell?
Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about Tesla, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 20 Buys, 10 Holds, and three Sells. The average price target of $218.50 suggests upside of 12.2%.
Conclusion
Tesla shares have jumped significantly this year despite persistent macro challenges, price cuts amid growing competition in the EV space, and Musk’s shenanigans. While many analysts remain bullish about the long-term potential of Tesla in the EV space, others are concerned about demand and margin pressures due to growing competition.
