In a surprising turn of events on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street,’ Craig Irwin of Roth Capital, long known for his bearish stance on Tesla (TSLA), announced a significant upgrade to the company’s stock rating. This shift in perspective marks a notable departure from Irwin’s previous skepticism, highlighting his newfound optimism regarding Tesla’s future, particularly influenced by the company’s robotics division and potential under a Trump administration.
Irwin explained his change of heart by citing Tesla’s recent performance, suggesting that the last quarter might be the final one of relative weakness for the company. He pointed out that lower battery prices had contributed to margin improvements in recent quarters, and with a clearer outlook from Tesla’s CFO, the stock has been positively affected by what he termed the “Trump bump.” Irwin believes that with Elon Musk’s close ties to President-elect Trump and initiatives like government efficiency and cryptocurrency involvement (specifically mentioning DOGE), Tesla could tap into a new demographic of conservative buyers, potentially accelerating demand in the U.S. market.
Moreover, Irwin’s analysis now includes a focus on Tesla’s positive catalysts, such as the company’s advancements in robotics with projects like Optimus and AI initiatives like Grok. These, along with gaining market share in the EV sector, were seen by Irwin as indicators of a sustainable upward trajectory for Tesla, potentially leading to a massive increase in market cap, which he speculates could reach between $1.1 to $1.2 trillion.
The discussion turned towards Tesla’s long-term vision, particularly in autonomous driving and robotics. Irwin acknowledged his previous underestimation of Tesla’s approach to Full Self-Driving (FSD) and robo-taxis, now seeing value in Tesla’s optical-only solution for autonomy compared to competitors like Waymo, which rely on LIDAR. He noted Tesla’s recent hiring of teleoperation engineers, signaling an incremental but practical approach to perfecting autonomous technologies. Irwin posited that Tesla’s focus on edge computing and energy-efficient solutions could make it a formidable contender in the long run, particularly with the anticipated rollout of the “cyber taxi” by the middle of next year.
This upgrade from Irwin, who has been a vocal critic of Tesla’s valuation in the past, reflects a broader acknowledgment of Tesla’s strategic positioning in both the EV and tech markets. His comments suggest that tangible progress in robotics and autonomous driving could significantly drive Tesla’s stock valuation and investor enthusiasm, marking a pivotal moment for how analysts and investors view the company’s future prospects.
Price Action: As of press time, Tesla is trading at $356.11, reflecting an increase of roughly 12 points. The electric vehicle giant’s shares have exhibited strong performance year-to-date, with a notable 43% gain, outperforming the broader Nasdaq index, which has recorded a 29% increase over the same period.
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