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Ross Gerber, a prominent investor in Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), has voiced concerns about the company’s future. He predicts a challenging earnings report and questions the company’s growth strategy.
What Happened: Gerber, the CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, shared his concerns about Tesla’s future on the social media platform X.
He suggested that Tesla’s upcoming earnings report may not meet expectations and raised doubts about the company’s ability to sell more cars with its current strategy.
“Tesla earnings will be bad but don’t worry that won’t be the issue… the guidance… We might get a little relief rally after earnings if they are not totally atrocious. But unfortunately, Tesla will be unable to sell more cars than the past with the current strategy,” Gerber wrote.
Tesla earnings will be bad but don't worry that wont be the issue… the guidance… We might get a little relief rally after earnings if they are not totally atrocious. But unfortunately tesla will be unable to sell more cars than the past with the current strategy. $TSLA— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) April 22, 2024
Gerber expressed his views on Tesla’s valuation, emphasizing the importance of considering the growth rate over the price-to-earnings ratio. He noted Tesla’s stagnant growth and uncertainty regarding its future growth prospects. “Now Tesla isn’t growing and not sure how it will get back to growing,” he wrote.
Gerber speculated that if Tesla achieves an earnings per share of $2.50 in 2024, the outlook for 2025 remains unclear. As a result, he suggested that $100 might be the next target price.
What is Tesla worth? You can assign whatever PE you wish. We tend to look at growth rate. Now Tesla isn't growing and not sure how it will get back to growing… If they do $2.50 in EPS in 2024, don't know what they will earn in 2025. So $100 is looking like the next stop……— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) April 22, 2024
Gerber also condemned Tesla’s management for overlooking evident measures that could have prevented the current circumstances. He expressed skepticism about CEO Elon Musk‘s ability to address the situation during the upcoming conference call.
Of course all of this was avoidable and typically one should blame the CEO/management team. Since the management team has been fired… We shall see how this will be handled by the CEO tomorrow during the conference call. Cant imagine this going smoothly… $TSLA #Tesla— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) April 22, 2024
According to Fintel, as of Feb. 13, Ross Gerber’s investment firm, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, reported owning 377,918 shares of Tesla. This signifies a 5.09% decrease from their previous ownership.
Why It Matters: Gerber’s comments come on the eve of Tesla’s Q1 earnings report, which is highly anticipated by investors and analysts alike. The company’s Q1 performance has been a topic of debate, with some analysts questioning whether Tesla is still a growth stock.
Gerber’s remarks also follow a series of events that have put Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, under scrutiny. Earlier this month, Gerber blamed Musk’s behavior for Tesla’s disappointing Q1 sales. More recently, he warned that the credibility of Tesla’s board was at stake with the vote on Musk’s $56 billion pay package.
Despite these challenges, some investors remain optimistic about Tesla’s future. Cathie Wood‘s Ark Invest, for example, acquired over $17 million in Tesla shares ahead of the Q1 results, signaling confidence in the company’s long-term prospects.
Price Action: Based on data from Benzinga Pro, Tesla is currently trading at $142.05, reflecting a 3.40% decrease from Monday’s close. Additionally, in after-hours trading, the stock experienced a further decline of 0.42%. Overall, the stock is down by 42.82% year-to-date.
Read Next: Tesla Slashes Model S, X And Y Prices In US By $2,000 In Late-Friday Move As Volume Growth Turns Negative
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