LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Makes New Investment in Tesla, Inc. $TSLA

Key Points

• LaFleur & Godfrey LLC initiated a Tesla position of 1,446 shares worth approximately $513,000 in the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 66.2% of Tesla.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but leans positive: Tesla has an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $414.51, with recent upgrades from Jefferies and Morgan Stanley alongside several cautious or bearish ratings.
• Tesla reported quarterly EPS of $0.48, slightly exceeding estimates, while revenue of $28.05 billion was essentially in line with expectations and declined modestly year over year. The stock opened at $404.22, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.60 trillion and a very high P/E ratio of 444.20.

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC purchased a new position in Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,446 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock, valued at approximately $513,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Tesla by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 22,435 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $7,960,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board increased its position in shares of Tesla by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 89,473 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $31,746,000 after purchasing an additional 3,342 shares during the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its position in shares of Tesla by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 3,992 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $1,416,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. CA lifted its stake in shares of Tesla by 14.6% in the 3rd quarter. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. CA now owns 1,510 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. Finally, Armor Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tesla by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Armor Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,058 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. 66.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Tesla from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Glj Research reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $475.00 price target on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Tesla from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Tesla from a "reduce" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Tesla currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $414.51.

Tesla Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:TSLA opened at $404.22 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.60 trillion, a P/E ratio of 444.20, a P/E/G ratio of 23.62 and a beta of 1.92. Tesla, Inc. has a 1-year low of $297.38 and a 1-year high of $498.83. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $367.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $386.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $28.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.06 billion. Tesla had a net margin of 3.11% and a return on equity of 3.03%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.50 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Tesla, Inc. will post 0.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded Tesla to Overweight with a $450 price target, arguing that the company’s potential extends beyond a SpaceX merger. Analysts cited electric vehicles, energy storage and Full Self-Driving subscriptions as independent growth drivers. Why Tesla’s Upside Is About More Than a SpaceX Merger
• Positive Sentiment: Optimism around robotaxis continued after Elon Musk said Tesla plans to expand service to Miami and Tampa beaches. ARK Invest also reaffirmed its highly bullish long-term price target, assigning most of Tesla’s projected future value to robotaxis. Elon Musk Says Tesla Robotaxi Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla’s battery-storage business is showing demand strength, with Megapack systems reportedly nearing a sellout through 2027. A growing battery-passport market could also benefit Tesla’s energy and compliance-related offerings. Tesla Is Nearing a Sellout of Megapack Systems
• Neutral Sentiment: Speculation about a Tesla-SpaceX merger remains a major market driver, but no transaction terms or agreement have been announced. Such a deal could provide strategic benefits while also creating dilution, governance and valuation concerns for Tesla shareholders. Elon Musk Says Merging SpaceX and Tesla Would Be a Good Idea
• Negative Sentiment: Recent positive free cash flow appears driven largely by lower-than-expected capital spending—$4.73 billion versus roughly $7.77 billion expected—rather than improved operations. Operating income reportedly fell 56% to $718 million, underscoring pressure on profitability while Tesla invests heavily in AI, robotaxis and Optimus. Tesla’s Free Cash Flow Just Turned Positive
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and regulatory concerns also weighed on sentiment: 80 Tesla drivers in South Korea reportedly face criminal referrals for unauthorized FSD activation, while commentary questioned the Roadster’s performance and the company’s ability to defend its autonomy lead against Waymo and Chinese rivals. Tesla’s extremely high earnings multiple leaves little room for disappointment. 80 Tesla Drivers Face Criminal Charges in South Korea

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Tesla news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.13, for a total value of $938,498.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 25,972 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,353,296.36. This represents a 9.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 20.00% of the company's stock.

Tesla Profile

Tesla, Inc is an electric vehicle and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003, the company designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, including the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Cybertruck. Tesla also develops vehicle software, driver-assistance features and related services intended to support the operation and ownership of its vehicles.

Beyond automobiles, Tesla produces energy storage products for residential, commercial and utility-scale applications, including the Powerwall and Megapack.

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