12. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 126
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is a leading electric vehicle and clean energy company. Cramer pointed out multiple headwinds and lowered expectations:
“Tesla’s numbers were weaker than expected […] 387,000 vehicles when we expected them to sell more than 457,000 […] The real problem with Tesla is that it turns out to be a mortal car company and not an immortal tech company.”
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has soared 72.92% since that episode, outperforming expectations despite Cramer’s cautious tone.
The company has faced some backlash in the past months and the stock has dropped a lot from its peak. Investors worry whether CEO Elon Musk’s politics are affecting its product demand. Here are Cramer’s comments about the matter from March 21st:
“[On Musk’s employee on hands meeting] Yeah it was great. Look I think he’s trying the focus off the fact that it’s a car company. Well look, he just kind of reminds of Henry Ford. Not necessarily some of the political things that Henry Ford was involved in. Henry Ford always said though, when things got tough, never complain and never explain. And this man is kind of hitting on both cylinders there. I, do I like the stock? I think that if you change the narrative and actually produce the data that he talked about for self drive, it would be good. I mean but right now, the long knives are out for him like almost no one I’ve ever seen in history. He’s doing, again, you have to understand there are people who say this man has become the most arch Republican Trumpist in history, and we’re supposed to buy his cars? We bought them because they were pro environment and now he’s in, he’s deeply in the anti-climate change theory. Look it’s heavily political, it’s heavily political.”
“[Dan Ives on Wedbush warning about something have to change, Jonas cutting PT to $410 from $430 and saying it’s a top pick because firm is transitioning to AI and robotics] Well, you know what’s a highly diversified play on AI and robotics? It’s the unfathomably bad acting golden negative bear cross, NVIDIA. . . So I mean if you want AI, I’ll give you NVIDIA. You want self-drive, I’ll give you NVIDIA. And I’ll tell you, do want some NVIDIA? I’ll give you NVIDIA. That stock can’t even seem to hold 117. So I don’t want to, I look at it in a positive way, I like the idea that it’s going toward tech. But right now tech is so hated, I think I’d rather have it go toward GM and Ford.”
“Well I think that people felt by this point that there would be a souring in the relationship between the headstrong Musk and the headstrong Trump. But that hasn’t happened. I think people are kind of surprised that he seems to get a kick out of dismantling the government. Okay, I mean some people get their kicks in strange ways. But I will say that, if he were to say tomorrow, you know what, I’m going back Tesla, then the stock will be at 400. And people want that optionality. I like the stock right here. But I think you have to buy it slowly because I don’t think the numbers have all been fully cut Sarah. I think there’s more number cuts coming.”
