Editor’s Note: Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR), Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN)
Tesla Stock Soars 12% After Q1 Profit (Barron’s)
Tesla Motors reported first-quarter earnings Wednesday, announcing a profit of 12 cents a share and revenue of $562 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been expecting, on average, a loss of 1 cent a share on revenue of $500.2 million. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s stock jumped more than 12% in postmarket trades after the results were announced. Tesla also reaffirmed its gross margin guidance:
An important point for investors to note is that we are reaffirming our prior guidance of a gross margin of 25% in Q4 2013, assuming zero ZEV credit revenue. This may turn out to be greater than zero, but we are not counting on it. What really matters is improving fundamental automotive gross margin, excluding regulatory credits. On this front, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) improved nine percentage points from the prior quarter and continues to improve every month.
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA), Google Inc (GOOG): A Partnership Coming? (Insider Monkey)
When people think of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) they typically think about fuel efficient, electric luxury vehicles. While Tesla is an up and coming player in the automotive industry, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has already established itself as top dog in the world of online search. On the surface, the two companies don’t appear to have much in common. However, this is not the case as you dig deeper. With Google spending so much time and money on driverless technology, it only makes sense that companies in the automotive industry, such as Tesla, would begin to take notice.
Starbucks recommits to Green Mountain (The Seattle Times)
Starbucks will continue making coffee and tea inserts for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR)’ Keurig single-serve brewing systems for at least the next five years, the two companies said Wednesday. Green Mountain is the company that bought Seattle-based Tully’s Coffee’s wholesale business four years ago. The Waterbury, Vt., company’s stock took a hit last year, when Starbucks said it would market its own single-serve coffee machines, called Verismo. That machine appears to be in direct competition with Green Mountain. Wednesday’s announcement of the renewed agreement indicates Starbucks is committed to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR)’s Keurig technology, as well as its own, at least for now.
Groupon shares surge 13% as losses narrow (CNN Money)
Shares of Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) soared Wednesday afternoon after the company appeared to be righting the ship following the ouster of its CEO. The company reported a smaller loss and growing sales in the first quarter. That’s what counts for good news these days in the struggling daily deals business. Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) had become notorious in recent quarters for missing Wall Street analysts’ expectations, and its shares typically plunged following its financial reports.
Groupon Inc (GRPN): 10 Hedge Funds That Are Praising Today’s Gains (Insider Monkey)
At Insider Monkey, we track hedge fund sentiment, and it is interesting to note that of the 450 elite funds we follow, 18 were long Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) at the end of 2012, a slight drop from 19 one quarter earlier. Interestingly, this group’s aggregate capital invested in Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) skyrocketed in Q4, by more than 290%, indicating that the committed managers dug their feet in even more. At the end of last year, when Groupon’s stock price was sitting just off historic lows, that was understandably a difficult thing to do.
Battery-Driven Tesla May Run Out of Juice (The Wall Street Journal)
Without so much as a puff of smoke, Tesla Motors Inc.’s TSLA +0.50% stock has rallied an incredible 64% this year. One catalyst: an announcement last month that it had reached “full profitability” for the quarter through March. Analysts don’t seem so sure, though, projecting the company on Wednesday will report a loss of seven cents a share. Rather than quibble over a few million dollars here or there, investors need to focus on the big picture of a car maker now worth $6.6 billion that has attracted many skeptical “short” sellers betting against the stock. Even with sales seen surging more than sixfold to over 20,000 cars this year, that is a debt-adjusted market value per vehicle some 90 times as high as at General Motors Co. GM +1.36% Is Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) worth it?
Starbucks, Green Mountain marketing expansion highlights love-hate relationship (The Tell, MarketWatch)
Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) announced they’re expanding an agreement for marketing and distributing Starbucks- and Tazo-branded single serve pacts on Green Mountain’s Keurig brewing systems…
