Analyst on Tesla (TSLA): ‘I’m Surprised It’s Not Down More’

We recently published a list of 10 Latest AI News You Shouldn’t Miss. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) stands against other latest AI news you shouldn’t miss.

Anastasia Amoroso, iCapital chief investment officer, said in a latest program on CNBC that 2025 will be the year of AI software, data centers and power. She believes the AI rally is broadening out.

“Artificial intelligence, as I mentioned, is carrying itself over into 2025, and I think it’s broadening. Last year, last two years, have been about semiconductors. I think this year has to be about AI software; it has to be about AI monetization, but it also has to be about AI power. And it’s not just, you know, a number of headlines talking about data centers and how much they consume, and the fact that I think you need eight times the electricity to run an AI data center. It’s an actual real trend, which I also think the Trump Administration is going to support as well.”

The analyst also said investors should consider alternative investments or private markets as she believes private equity valuations are below the levels seen in public markets.

READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In

For this article we picked 10 AI stocks trending on latest news. With each stock we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Analyst on Tesla (TSLA): ‘I’m Surprised It’s Not Down More’

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 99

Adam Coons from Winthrop Capital recently said while talking to Schwab Network that he’s been staying away from Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares amid high expectations and valuation concerns:

“This is really a narrative trade right now, post-election. When you see the stock up, as I mentioned, over 50%, it was more than priced to perfection. So, having a miss like this, I’m surprised it’s not down more. But there’s enough momentum and narrative to support the stock right now.

I think it’s set up with really high expectations, which is why we’re staying away from it. Would I short the stock? Not at all. For us, we’ve stayed away and kept it out of our portfolios because of the level of volatility and uncertainty.

This is primarily a story about autonomous driving and the potential for a less stringent regulatory environment. However, I think that’s a tough case to make. Trump alone isn’t going to be able to make any significant moves here.”

Looking beyond the recent spike in Tesla shares amid Donald Trump’s victory, Tesla’s fundamentals are challenged. How? Tesla, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) key robotaxi event was short on details. Notably absent was the discussion of a “more affordable” model that Musk had previously mentioned to boost confidence in Tesla’s vehicle sales growth outlook.

What about the $30,000 price tag claim?

Musk has indicated that the Cybercab will have a production cost of approximately $30,000. Operating within the robotaxi fleet is projected to cost around $0.20 per mile. With a production cost of $30,000, the retail price of the Cybercab is likely to exceed this figure. For instance, if the Cybercab is priced at $30,000 per unit, that translates to $15,000 per seat. In contrast, the average price per passenger seat in Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s most affordable long-range RWD Model 3—factoring in full self-driving (FSD) licensing—is under $10,000 ($29,990 post-incentive vehicle price plus $8,000 for the FSD license, divided by four passenger seats). Regarding operational costs, while the Cybercab is expected to cost $0.20 per mile, charging the Model 3 is estimated at under $0.10 per mile, leaving a significant margin to cover maintenance and downtime.

There is a lot of hype around Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) robo taxis but many believe they will not be enough to fix the company’s long-term challenges.

What are these challenges?

Tesla, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) product lineup is showing signs of stagnation, with over 95% of sales still coming from the Model 3 and Model Y. Meanwhile, competitors are rolling out more advanced models. Even Rivian’s CEO suggested Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) could be nearing market saturation for these models. According to Reuters, Tesla’s market share in Europe is slipping as legacy automakers like BMW post stronger sales. Chinese competitor BYD is also gaining ground in Europe, despite talk of tariffs.

Delaware Ivy Core Equity Fund stated the following regarding Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:

“Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Though it isn’t a holding within the portfolio, Tesla continues to be a cult-like stock with weak fundamentals dependent on highly speculative development of autonomous driving technology. The company’s share price moved higher during the quarter after weakness in the year-to-date period.”

Overall, TSLA ranks 6th on our list of the latest AI news you shouldn’t miss. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSLA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.