Stiffer competition: Guests surround Tesla EVs in Bangkok. The company is facing a growing competitive threat from major automakers that are slated to flood the market with a slew of EVs over the next few years. — Reuters
NEW YORK: Tesla Inc shares have fallen so far, so fast that some individual investors are piling in, seeing a chance to pick up what was once Wall Street’s highest flying stock on the cheap.
But would-be bargain hunters may want to take a closer look.
Even after last year’s record 65% drop, the electric-car maker’s meteoric surge during 2020 and 2021 has left it with stock-market value of US$389bil (RM1.7 trillion), more than Toyota Motor Corp, General Motors Co, Stellantis NV and Ford Motor Co combined.
And the shares still trade at a higher valuation – relative to expected earnings – than most major technology giants, showing anticipation that the company will see the heady growth that chief executive officer Elon Musk has promised and dominate the industry in years to come.
In the short term, though, the company is facing mounting challenges, including rising costs, competitive threats, and the risk that a recession will slow demand.
At the same time, Musk has been distracted by his takeover of Twitter, a transaction that’s weighed on the stock due to speculation he could sell more Tesla shares to keep the money-losing social-media company afloat and take his eye off running the carmaker.
“Tesla was priced for perfection – and perfection is hard to come by,” said Catherine Faddis, senior portfolio manager at Fernwood Investment Management. “People are asking themselves, exactly why should it trade at so much of a premium?”
Such concerns fuelled a major sell-off in Tesla that drove the shares down more than 36% in December, the steepest monthly decline since the initial public offering in 2010.
That delivered a windfall to short sellers who had bet against the stock after a two-year rally pushed it up 1,163% by the end of 2021.
Electric cars are still expected to be the future of the auto industry globally. But Tesla’s short-term outlook has been clouded by the trajectory of the economy and factors like the surging cost of raw materials used in batteries.
That led Tesla to raise prices last year just as consumers were contending with rapid inflation and high interest rates.
To clear its inventory, Tesla offered a rare US$7,500 (RM33,000) discount to customers who took delivery by the end of last year, effectively matching a potential federal subsidy that starts in 2023.
The company is also facing a growing competitive threat from major automakers that are slated to flood the market with a slew of new electric vehicles (EVs) over the next few years.
Despite that, the stock market is pricing in that Tesla will continue to post rapid growth and brokerage analysts are broadly more positive on the company than they were a year ago, when 29% of them advised selling the stock as it held over US$350 (RM1,540), according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Only 11% are doing so now that it’s dropped to around US$123 (RM541). — Bloomberg
