Tesla gained Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter’s confidence following its Q1 2025 earnings call. Piper Sandler reaffirmed its Overweight rating and $400 TSLA price target, signaling optimism for the company’s robotaxi and affordable vehicle launches expected this year. The firm’s stance reflects Tesla’s resilience amid market challenges.

Despite expectations of weak Q1 financials, Tesla’s stock edged up in after-hours trading, defying skepticism. Piper Sandler’s Alexander Potter noted that the results met the hopes of Tesla supporters, particularly as the company held firm on its timelines. Potter emphasized that anticipation for robotaxi details and new vehicle launches should keep critics at bay, supporting the $400 target.

“In our preview last week, we predicted that (at best) Q1 would be a non-event. With the stock trading up slightly in the after-hours session, it appears our best-case scenario has materialized. Considering generally weak Q1 financials, we think this is the best result that TSLA bulls could’ve reasonably hoped for.

“In our view, the most important Q1 takeaway is this: Tesla didn’t hedge expectations re: launching Robotaxis or lower-priced vehicles in 1H25. With <2 months until the end of June, investors can look forward to some interesting catalysts in the weeks ahead. In our view, this alone should be enough to keep the bears at bay, at least until we have a better idea re: the details of Tesla’s new products, as well as the scale/scope of the Robotaxi launch,” wrote Potter.

Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives, a longtime TSLA bull, echoed Potter’s optimism for Tesla. Ives raised his price target for Tesla stock from $315 to $350 with a BUY rating. His Tesla upgrade came after Elon Musk’s announcement during the Q1 earnings call that he would reduce his involvement with DOGE, signaling a sharper focus on Tesla.

Tesla’s steady Q1 performance and unwavering commitment to its 2025 roadmap, including the Robotaxi launch and lower-priced models, bolster investor confidence. Piper Sandler’s analysis underscores Tesla’s ability to navigate a competitive electric vehicle market while advancing its technological edge. The upcoming Robotaxi launch and affordable vehicle introductions are pivotal, with analysts expecting these initiatives to drive stock value through 2025.

As Tesla prepares for these milestones, its stock movement reflects market trust in Musk’s vision. With Piper Sandler and Wedbush reaffirming bullish outlooks, Tesla’s strategic moves will remain under close scrutiny, positioning the company to capitalize on its innovation pipeline in a dynamic industry landscape.

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Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives sees a brighter future for the automaker now that Elon Musk plans to reduce his time with the DOGE team. After the company’s latest earnings call, the long-time TSLA bull raised Tesla’s price target from $315 to $350 with a BUY rating.

“Last night was a pivotal conference call for Musk to turn the corner from this dark chapter as 1Q numbers [ending] a disaster quarter in which deliveries were very soft and Tesla missed the Street on basically every metric.

“More important than numbers, this was the time [Elon] Musk could pivot, speak to shareholders/employees, and take a turn away from the DOGE/Trump White House and recommit as CEO of Tesla…and he did it loudly and clearly in a conference call that we view as a turning point in the Tesla story,” Ives said after Tesla’s earnings call.

Before Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, the Wedbush analyst said the company was at a crossroads. He listed six factors that might be affecting Tesla, which he believed the company should address. Number one on Ives’ list was Tesla’s ascension to a global political symbol associated with the Trump Administration and DOGE.

It must be noted that these are Ives’ opinions and do not apply to the entire public. Some groups separate Elon Musk and Tesla from President Trump and his administration.

During the recent TSLA earnings call, Elon Musk made the separation more apparent partly by announcing that he would significantly reduce his time with DOGE.

“And I think starting probably next month, May, my time allocation to Doge will drop significantly…But starting next month, I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla and now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk said.

Musk also shared his stance on Trump’s auto tariffs, differentiating himself further from the U.S. President and the current administration.

“And I undoubtedly, I’m gonna get a lot of questions about tariffs. And I just wanna emphasize that the tariff decision is entirely up to the President of the United States. I will weigh in with my advice with the President, which he will listen to my advice. But then it’s up to him, of course, to make his decision.

“I’ve been on the record many times saying that I believe lower tariffs are generally a good idea for prosperity, but this decision is fundamentally up to the elected representative of the people being the President of the United States. So, you know, I’ll continue to advocate for lower tariffs rather than higher tariffs, but that’s all I can do,” Musk said.

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A first glance at the Tesla Optimus pilot production line was shared by the company during its Q1 2025 Update letter. Tesla noted that its Optimus production timeline remains intact with the company aiming to produce its first humanoid robots capable of useful work soon.

Tesla’s Optimus pilot production line is in the Fremont factory, a fitting place for the company to start any project. Tesla hopes for a wider deployment of the Optimus bots across its factories by the end of the year.

“And we’ve got Optimus. We’re making good progress in Optimus. We expect to have thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of this year. And we expect to scale Optimus up faster than any product, I think, in history to get to millions of units per year as soon as possible. I feel confident in getting to a million units per year in less than five years, maybe four years,” shared Elon Musk during TSLA’s first quarter earnings call.

Musk later noted that Tesla’s Optimus production is still “very much a development program.” He clarified that Tesla will not jump right into large-volume production. Instead, Tesla will focus on producing a few thousand Optimus bots with most of the production taking place at the tail end of the year.

“So, almost everything in Optimus is new. There’s not an existing supply chain for the motors, gearboxes, electronics, actuators, really almost anything in the Optimus apart from the the AI for Tesla, the Tesla AI computer, which is the same as one in the car. So when you have a new complex manufactured product, it’ll move as fast as the slowest and least lucky component in the entire thing,” elaborated Musk.

Tesla is working with China to get a license to use rare earth magnets for Optimus. Earlier this month, China’s Ministry of Commerce imposed restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and magnets, responding to U.S. President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese products.

“So we’re working through that with China. Hopefully, we’ll get a license to use the rare earth magnets. China wants some assurances that these are not used for military purposes, which, obviously, they’re not. They’re just going into a humanoid robot. So that’s not a weapon system,” Musk explained.

Musk shared that actuators in Optimus arms use permanent magnets. He stated that Tesla did not need to use permanent magnets.

“Now Tesla as a whole does not need to use permanent magnets, but when something is volume constrained, like an arm of the robot, then you wanna try to make the motors as small as possible. And then so we did the design in permanent magnets for those motors, and those were affected by the supply chain,” the Tesla CEO commented.

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During Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Q1 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) provided details about President Trump’s auto tariffs and how they impact the company.

Elon Musk and other Tesla executives acknowledged that the company would face a few challenges resulting from President Trump’s auto tariffs. However, they also emphasized that Tesla is prepared for any tariff-caused headwinds.

Supply chain disruption is one of the challenges American automakers face due to Trump’s auto tariffs. With regards to supply chain, Musk stated that Tesla has been working to localize its supply chain for years–even prior to Trump’s second presidency. As a result, Tesla is able to mitigate some supply chain risks.

“And so we are, I think, the least affected car company with respect to tariffs, at least in most respects. I mean, it remains to be seen. Now, tariffs are still tough on a company when margins are still low, but we do have localized supply chains in North America, Europe, and China. So that puts us in a stronger position than any of our competitors,” Elon Musk stated.

Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja offered more details about the company’s region-based approach to its supply chain, specifically in North America. Taneja noted that the Tesla Model Y has been rated the most American-made model by Car.com three years in a row, showing that Tesla has already started localizing its supply chains.

“This is in part is [from] all the work which the team has been doing over the years. And to the extent that today, you know, if you look at our vehicle lineup in [the] US, we’re about approximately on a weighted average basis, 85% USMCA compliant,” said Taneja, referring to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

However, Taneja also noted that Trump’s auto tariffs coming in May will impact Tesla because it will affect trade with Canada and Mexico. Next month, Trump plans to impose 25% tariffs on auto parts imported into the United States. The Tesla CFO shared that Canada and Mexico are part of the company’s regionalization strategy. As a result, the Trump auto tariffs in May will impact Tesla’s profitability.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted that Tesla is best positioned to take on Trump’s tariffs on auto parts. The analyst listed Tesla’s localization strategy and Musk’s work with President Trump as reasons the electric vehicle maker may have an edge over the Detroit Big Three when facing auto tariffs.

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Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock price target was slashed 15% by Barclays to $275 from $325. Barclays analysts cited weaker fundamentals and challenges in achieving 2025 unit volume growth as reasons for cutting Tesla’s price target. The firm retained an equal weight rating on TSLA, noting that CEO Elon Musk could shift sentiment during the upcoming Q1 earnings call.

Barclays believes Musk’s discussion of Tesla’s robotaxi launch in June could overshadow short-term issues, stating, “good narrative could outweigh weak fundamentals.” The investment bank also commented that Musk’s work with the Trump Administration has become a “code red situation” for Tesla.

Musk’s involvement with President Trump and his administration has caused some waves in the perception of the Tesla brand. Other investment firms also see Musk’s work with the U.S. government as negative for Tesla.

Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives urged Musk to prioritize his CEO role over government involvement. “We also would expect Musk to address his role in the Trump Administration and will be asked about if he plans to stay in an advisory role for the White House,” Ives said. The Wedbush analyst emphasized that Musk must “lay out the timeline/hard facts” for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and production on Tesla’s “new lower-cost vehicle.”

“We view this as a fork in the road time: if Musk leaves the White House, there will be permanent brand damage… But Tesla will have its most important asset and strategic thinker back as full-time CEO to drive the vision, and the long-term story will not be altered. If Musk chooses to stay with the Trump White House, it could change the future of Tesla, and brand damage will grow. A huge week ahead for Musk, Tesla, and investors,” Ives wrote in a note.

Tesla’s stock has faced pressure from Musk’s government ties, tariffs, and lower-than-expected deliveries. However, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg countered the pessimism, arguing that current concerns over Tesla are exaggerated given the company’s future prospects.

“We believe the recent stock pullback and sales declines, while significant, are overblown considering the near-term issues impacting the company and the scope of opportunities around the corner. After appreciating over 90% to a high of $488 after the Presidential election, the stock has pulled back to sub-$300 levels,” Legg wrote in a note earlier this month.

The Benchmark analyst urged investors to focus on catalysts like robotaxis and new vehicle models. As Tesla’s earnings approach, Musk’s leadership and strategic clarity will be pivotal in addressing investor concerns and shaping the company’s trajectory.

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However, one analyst says that the concerns regarding Tesla’s short-term performance are “overblown”, considering all the things the company has in the works for the future.

Mickey Legg, an analyst for Benchmark, wrote in a note on Wednesday that much of the negative narrative that has hovered over Tesla shares for the past few months is exaggerated. Instead of looking at the near-term pullback on shares that has seen a 32 percent drop in share price since the beginning of the year, Legg is encouraging investors to look at the catalysts that lie ahead.

Legg wrote in the note to investors (via MarketWatch):

“We believe the recent stock pullback and sales declines, while significant, are overblown considering the near-term issues impacting the company and the scope of opportunities around the corner. After appreciating over 90% to a high of $488 after the Presidential election, the stock has pulled back to sub-$300 levels.”

The stock has felt immense pressure in the early portion of 2025, especially as some investors are questioning Musk’s focus on Tesla, with some arguing that his CEO role has seemingly taken a backseat to his responsibilities with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Additionally, his capacity in the government has drawn some unwarranted criticism from some, resulting in vandalism and violence from his opposition.

However, Musk’s role with DOGE will eventually come to a close, and Legg is looking forward to that, as well as other catalysts that Tesla has announced in the past. For example, the company said it plans to launch affordable models in the first half of this year:

“Our focus is on the release of a new TSLA model in 2Q25, which in our view could turn around the recent decline in vehicle sales. Furthermore, we’re cautiously optimistic about the rollout of Tesla operated robotaxis as a paid service in Austin, TX scheduled for June. While the scope of the initial rollout is expected to be limited, we are focused on the rate of expansion of the operation both in Austin and to other cities.”

Legg finished by stating that he is under the impression that a reduced capacity in DOGE by Musk would be massive for the stock:

“Recent headlines suggest Musk could be reducing his role with the White House, and we can see political backlash diminishing as the year progresses. In our view there is significant potential for a stock rebound, and we believe the breadth of near-term opportunities outweigh headwinds.”

Tesla shares are up over 20 percent as of 3:22 p.m. on the East Coast.

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Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 vehicles in the first quarter of the year, a far cry from the Wall Street estimate of 352,000 and whisper numbers of roughly 350,000. At first glance, it seems to be a disaster, but Tesla said it lost “several weeks of production” in Q1 due to the ramp of the new Model Y at all four of its vehicle production factories.

Tesla (TSLA) reports 336,681 vehicle deliveries for Q1 2025

This could be part of the reason that the company experienced a quarter of this performance, but there are also factors stemming from CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the U.S. government, which has created some pushback in various markets.

It’s tough to say how much of each issue caused this type of quarter, but Ives wrote in a note to investors that Wedbush could not look at this “with rose-colored glasses,” as the performance “was a disaster on every metric.”

Ives believes it is time for Musk to make a move:

“The Street and us knew a bad 1Q was coming but this was even worse than expected. The time has come for Musk….it’s a fork in the road moment. The more political he gets with DOGE the more the brand suffers, there is no debate. This quarter was an example of the damage Musk is causing Tesla. This continues to be a moment of truth for Musk to navigate this brand tornado crisis moment and get onto the other side of this dark chapter for Tesla with much better days ahead.”

Interestingly, the stock dropped over 5 percent after the delivery report. It quickly rebounded 8 percent and is currently up over 5 percent on the day after a report from Politico stated that Musk and President Donald Trump have discussed the CEO stepping back from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Based on that, it seems that investors were looking for Musk to step back from his government duties and show more public attention to Tesla. Realistically, we do not know how much of his time is being devoted to Tesla and its EV initiative. However, it seems investors were ready to hear something along the lines of Musk being more involved and speaking openly about Tesla and its projects.

It’s not all bad. Ives still recognizes Tesla’s prowess with the rollout of robotaxi and Full Self-Driving and how much impact it could have moving forward:

“Autonomous remains the biggest transformation to the auto industry in modern-day history and in our view, Tesla will own the autonomous market in the US and globally with the launch of unsupervised FSD in Austin kicking off the autonomous era at Tesla that we value at $1 trillion alone on a sum-of-the-parts valuation…”

With that being said, he also wants Musk to balance responsibilities with DOGE and Tesla:

“BUT…Musk needs to stop this political firestorm and balance being CEO of Tesla with DOGE. The future is so bright but this is a full blown crisis Tesla is navigating now and its primarily self-inflected. We remain firmly bullish on the long-term Tesla story but Musk needs to get his act together or else unfortunately darker times are ahead for Tesla.”

Tesla shares are trading at $283.01, up 5.42% at 1:57 p.m. on the East Coast.

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Lander said the basis for the potential litigation lies on “material misstatements from Tesla claiming that CEO Elon Musk spends significant time on the company and is highly active in its management, despite his helming the Trump Administration’s DOGE initiative.”

NEWS: New York City Comptroller Brad Lander wants to sue Tesla by claiming CEO Elon Musk’s role as the head of DOGE is hurting the stock.

Lander said that Musk was “effectively quitting his job at Tesla” by assuming the role with DOGE. pic.twitter.com/p9eMq9mMbr

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 1, 2025

It is a common complaint amongst some Tesla shareholders who are less than enthusiastic about Musk’s involvement in DOGE. Some feel as if Musk is not concerned about Tesla, especially as the stock has dropped over 28 percent this year. However, Musk has continued to double down on his position within the U.S. government.

Nevertheless, Musk’s position in Tesla is still very apparent. He headed an All-Hands meeting just two weeks ago that showed his commitment to the company as he outlined future plans and even joked to employees that they should hold onto their stock.

However, Lander believes Musk’s involvement has hurt New York City pension systems, which have lost over $300 million so far this year. He said:

“In less than three months, Tesla stock has lost nearly 40% of its value, with losses over $300 million for the New York City pension systems. We have long expressed concerns that the Tesla board has failed to provide independent oversight, or to require that Musk – or someone else – serve as a full-time CEO.”

Lander went on to say that “material misstatements from Tesla misled investors about his role at the company,” stating this was his reasoning for calling on the Law Department to file securities litigation against the company.

He believes taking it to court will force changes and will return Tesla shares back to a level that will benefit pension systems in New York City:

“Shareholder litigation could force the changes in governance and leadership that Tesla needs, and help recover some of our pension systems’ losses. Otherwise, we may need to consider divestment.”

The pension systems would be able to pursue financial damages to cover losses and seek governance changes, it says.

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Canaccord Genuity reaffirmed its price target of $404 for Tesla after a visit to Gigafactory Texas. The investment firm sees an optimistic future for Tesla in the long term despite near-term headwinds.

Canaccord analysts reiterated its “Buy” rating for TSLA stock and revised Tesla’s Q1 2025 delivery estimates from ~331,000 vehicles to ~362,000 units. The firm’s first-quarter delivery estimates for Tesla reveal its optimistic take on the company’s future, even though it is still below the consensus estimate of ~417,000 vehicles.

“Our estimate is informed by our opinion that some consumers are delaying vehicle purchases to access the new Model Y and 4Q24 earnings call commentary regarding Model Y-related factory retooling limiting production…We wonder whether purchase decision delays and production limitations are being misinterpreted as halted overall momentum for Tesla. While we do suspect there has been some macroeconomic/brand impact, we, again, do estimate 1Q25 deliveries are mostly being impacted by supply constraints–as well as some demand factors,” Canaccord Genuity noted.

Canaccord analysts recently visited Tesla Giga Texas and left with optimism for the American electric vehicle (EV) maker.

“It’s hard not to be impressed with how future-forward Tesla is–whether it’s vehicle design or manufacturing. Consistently rethinking the status quo,” Canaccord Genuity analysts commented.

Analysts highlighted Tesla’s progress with Full Self-Driving, specifically version 13.2.8. They noted that Tesla’s unboxed manufacturing strategy would boost production efficiencies. Canaccord Genuity analysts also mentioned that Tesla’s robotaxi services will launch in Austin in the summer.

“For investors with duration and grit, there is a silver-linings playbook,” the Canaccord Genuity analysts concluded.

Canaccord Genuity reflects Elon Musk’s recent stock market advice during the Tesla All-Hands keynote. Musk advised investors to invest in companies with products they love, highlighting that Tesla has a few great products and will continue to launch more.

“Tesla stock goes up and goes down, but actually, it’s still the same company,” Musk noted.

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Although Walz’s pushback against Tesla stock mostly comes from his evident distaste for CEO Elon Musk, who has joined President Donald Trump’s team as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it seems he might not have realized the EV maker’s shares make up a portion of his state’s pension fund.

This was something Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary mentioned last week after Walz’s comments. However, now that Tesla shares are rising once again, Walz is backtracking by saying that his comment from last week was his attempt at humor.

Walz said:

“I have to be careful about being a smartass. I was making a joke. These people have no sense of humor.”

NEW: Tim Walz says he was totally joking when he celebrated Tesla stock going down, says Elon Musk makes him unhealthy.

The comment came after Walz apparently didn’t realize his own pension plan owns Tesla stock.

“I have to be careful about being a smartass. I was making a… pic.twitter.com/w1QHAYyvco

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 23, 2025

Tesla shares have rebounded nicely since a substantial drop so far this year.

Although the stock is still down about 28 percent this year, things are looking better for the company as it now shifts its focus to the release of several affordable models, the ramp of the new Model Y “Juniper,” the release of the Cybercab and Robotaxi platform in Texas and California, and other potential catalysts like the Optimus robot.

Tesla aiming to produce first “legion” of Optimus robots this 2025

Last week’s All-Hands meeting from Tesla was publicly broadcast on X and seemed to be the response many investors were hoping for as questions started to seep in regarding Musk’s commitment to the company.

While his attention seems to be on solving government spending and eliminating corruption, it is evident Musk is still paying attention to what is going on at Tesla.

Shares are up over 10 percent at 1:05 p.m. on the East Coast, trading at around $274.

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