Tesla, Inc. $TSLA Shares Acquired by Empirical Finance LLC

Key Points

• Empirical Finance increased its Tesla stake by 4.4% in the second quarter to 82,916 shares valued at approximately $34.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 66.2% of Tesla.
• Tesla reported quarterly revenue of $28.24 billion, exceeding expectations, but earnings per share of $0.33 missed the $0.50 consensus estimate. The company’s revenue rose 25.5% year over year, while its net margin was 3.67%.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with Tesla carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $414.68. The stock trades at a very high P/E ratio above 330, while CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold shares to cover tax-withholding obligations.

Empirical Finance LLC grew its stake in Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 4.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 82,916 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after acquiring an additional 3,490 shares during the period. Tesla comprises 1.4% of Empirical Finance LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Empirical Finance LLC's holdings in Tesla were worth $34,874,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in TSLA. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Tesla in the 2nd quarter valued at about $262,414,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Tesla by 0.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 19,941 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $8,387,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. MLG Wealth Management DBA Pine Grove Financial Group lifted its position in shares of Tesla by 117.7% during the second quarter. MLG Wealth Management DBA Pine Grove Financial Group now owns 2,175 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $915,000 after purchasing an additional 1,176 shares in the last quarter. Range Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Tesla by 91.9% in the second quarter. Range Advisory LLC now owns 12,766 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $5,369,000 after purchasing an additional 6,112 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Tesla by 2.3% in the second quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 6,487 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $2,728,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. 66.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Tesla Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of Tesla stock opened at $356.58 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Tesla, Inc. has a 52-week low of $297.38 and a 52-week high of $498.83. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 trillion, a P/E ratio of 330.17, a P/E/G ratio of 18.12 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a 50 day moving average of $351.57 and a 200 day moving average of $380.48.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $28.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.42 billion. Tesla had a net margin of 3.67% and a return on equity of 3.82%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 25.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.33 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Tesla, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 25,972 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,353,296.36. This represents a 9.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 19.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a "reduce" rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $485.00 price target (down from $510.00) on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. DZ Bank raised Tesla from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $420.00 price objective on Tesla in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $414.68.

Key Stories Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla is expanding beyond autos: Pacific Gas & Electric selected the company for SHARE, a large virtual power plant connecting thousands of residential energy devices. The deal supports Tesla’s energy-storage and grid-services strategy, although investors may view its financial impact as modest initially. Tesla PG&E grid deal
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla reportedly regained roughly 52% of the U.S. EV market through August as Ford and GM reduced their EV efforts. However, Tesla’s own sales were still lower, meaning the share gain appears driven partly by weaker competition rather than accelerating demand. Tesla U.S. EV market share
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla established a Vietnamese subsidiary authorized to import, distribute and sell vehicles, creating a formal entry point into a growing Southeast Asian EV market and potentially diversifying sales beyond China. Tesla Vietnam expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Virtuix said Tesla placed repeat orders for its Omni One Enterprise systems for the Optimus humanoid-robot program, offering an outside indication that Tesla continues developing robotics applications. Elon Musk also says Optimus could ship to customers in 2027, though revenue remains speculative. Tesla Optimus shipment plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Tesla’s October 1 Roadster event is generating significant attention, with Musk hinting at unusually advanced or possible SpaceX-related technology. The reveal could become a catalyst, but the nine-year delay has made investors skeptical until production timing and specifications are demonstrated. Tesla Roadster reveal
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. regulators are questioning whether Tesla properly self-certified the steering-wheel-free Cybercab and whether the vehicle complies with safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants answers by September 30, raising certification, launch-timing and liability risks. Cybercab certification investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Cybercab rides can take substantially longer because the vehicles avoid highways reinforce concerns that Tesla’s current robotaxi service is limited and not yet ready for rapid scaling. Commentary has also contrasted Tesla’s rollout with Waymo’s more established operations. Tesla Cybercab rollout
• Negative Sentiment: At a valuation above 300 times earnings, Tesla remains highly dependent on future autonomy, robotics and energy growth. Skepticism over delayed products, competition and execution makes the stock vulnerable when new announcements do not immediately translate into commercial results.

Tesla Company Profile

Tesla, Inc is an American technology and automotive company that designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles and related energy products. Its vehicle lineup has included the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Cybertruck, along with commercial and specialty products such as the Tesla Semi.

The company also develops energy-generation and storage products, including solar panels, solar roofing systems and battery storage solutions for residential, commercial and utility customers.

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