Analysts Adjust Tesla Stock Price Targets Ahead of Critical Q3 Deliveries

Tesla’s stock experienced a slight decline in early trading on Wednesday, following a robust close the prior day, reaching levels not seen in over two months. This slight retreat occurs as the market processes an optimistic outlook for Tesla’s third-quarter delivery figures, anticipated to be announced early next week.

In the last six months, Tesla’s stock has shown a consistent upward trend, yet it remains beneath its highs from early July. The retrospective dip in July was largely linked to the delay of Tesla’s eagerly awaited robotaxi event, which was originally set for the summer. This event has now been moved to October 10 in Los Angeles, marking a pivotal point for CEO Elon Musk’s larger vision to shift Tesla towards self-driving technology, distancing from its conventional vehicle manufacturing background.

Although the financial gains from autonomous driving are projected to take some time to come into effect, investors are closely monitoring Tesla’s delivery reports, profit margins, and free cash flow predictions. These indicators are especially vital as the company manages the hefty expenses tied to its shift towards an AI-centric future.

analyst forecasts and Q3 projections

Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter has upheld his optimistic view on Tesla, elevating his price target to 0 per share, an increase of , in a note issued on Wednesday. Potter, who assigns an ‘overweight’ rating to the stock, believes that Tesla’s third quarter might be its most successful to date, notwithstanding some obstacles in the European sector.

Potter’s assurance is based on a significant rebound in Tesla’s sales in China, which had been under pressure for a considerable portion of the year but soared in August. Nonetheless, the European market poses ongoing challenges, with Tesla’s sales in the region plummeting by 43.2% last month, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Despite this setback, Potter is confident that strong demand in the U.S., particularly fueled by the Cybertruck, will mitigate the weakness in Europe.

Potter anticipates that Tesla’s third-quarter deliveries will hit around 459,000 units, with an annual goal of 1.75 million units. He commented that monitoring weekly registration statistics in China gives him substantial confidence that Tesla will achieve over 175,000 units delivered in Q3. While the transparency of U.S. sales data is lower, Potter posits that the influence of the Cybertruck could result in a quarter-on-quarter growth in deliveries, further bolstering his positive outlook.

Looking forward, Tesla is set to unveil its third-quarter earnings report on October 16, after market hours. Preliminary estimates indicate earnings of 60 cents per share, which would mark a 9% decrease from the same timeframe last year, on revenues of approximately .57 billion. Investors will be intently watching these metrics, especially in the context of Tesla’s ongoing evolution towards autonomous driving and AI advancements, which are anticipated to foster future growth but are accompanied by significant initial expenditures.

In premarket trades, Tesla shares were down 0.34%, leading to an opening price of 3.41 per share. While this drop might reflect transient market variations, the long-term perspective remains optimistic, particularly if Tesla can meet or surpass delivery expectations in the upcoming quarters.