Tesla Stock Analysis: Is the $1.5 Trillion Valuation a Dream or Delusion?
π Tesla: Car Company or Something More?
Let me be honest with you. I believe Tesla will be selling for less 10 years from now than it is today.
Over the next 5 years, Tesla has massive dreams. Robo taxis, humanoid robots, becoming more of an AI tech company than just a car maker. But in the short run, they are still a car company, no matter what anybody says.
There's huge upside if Tesla can pull off all its other goals. But there are also real concerns. EV growth is slowing. Tough competition. We would have never thought that before.
π The Shocking Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $95 billion |
| Market Cap | $1.5 trillion |
| Price-to-Sales (P/S) | 16x |
| 5-Year Average Price/FCF | 300x |
| P/E Ratio | 180x |
A car company doing $95 billion in revenue getting a $1.5 trillion market cap?
Here's the main metric I want to show you: Price-to-Sales ratio. Why? Over 90% of Tesla's revenues come from cars.
What's Ford, GM, Honda, Volkswagen's P/S ratio? Between 0.3 and 1. Tesla is at 16. This company trades at 16 to 50 times more than other car companies.
Why? Because everybody says it's "something else." Great. Double their revenue from "something else." It's still a car company.
π The Shifting Narrative
It started as an EV company. People said: "EVs are changing the world. Don't bet against it."
Then suddenly, competition showed up. As Michael Burry said.
Then it became a software business. FSD for $12,000? Didn't work. $8,000? Didn't work. $99/month with 3 months free? Less than 2% signed up after the trial. That is not a software business.
Now it's a humanoid robot company. Okay, sounds good.
π‘ About Elon Musk
I love Elon. I think he's a brilliant man. He's doing wonderful things. But he has a terrible track record of performing under his deadlines. He's always late to the game. Doesn't mean he's not brilliant. It just means we need to be realistic.
π Analyst Predictions: Optimistic, But...
Analysts expect EPS to grow from $1.64 to $8.73 over the next 4 years. That's big-time growth. If this is true, you might need to pay a premium.
But let me remind you of one thing. The stock is down 35% in the last year. Why? Suddenly people hated Elon Musk and stopped buying Teslas.
If I told you 6-8 years ago that Tesla would struggle to beat sales on a year-over-year basis, you'd have said "no chance." That's what happened.
π’ Calculating Fair Price
Based on a 10-year analysis, here are my assumptions:
| Assumption | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 6% | 12% | 18% |
| Profit Margin | 8% | 12% | 16% |
| P/E in 10 Years | 18 | 21 | 24 |
Note: These are aggressive assumptions. I'm giving upside for humanoid robots, software, everything.
The results?
| Price Range | Amount |
|---|---|
| Low Price | $46 |
| Mid Price | $123 |
| High Price | $290 |
The stock is currently at $440. Even with aggressive assumptions, the high price is $290.
π¨ Common Mistake: The "Discount" Logic
Some people say, "It's currently at 200 P/E, so 70 is a discount."
No.
You start at the market average P/E of 15-16, go higher for good companies, lower for bad ones. 18, 21, 24 already reflect a premium.
π― Key Lesson
When you run the stock analyzer:
- All green? Get excited. It's an opportunity to look more into a company.
- All red? Get excited. It's an opportunity to move on and find another company you love.
This is not about good or bad. Nothing in this world is, in and of itself, good or bad.
π¬ Final Thoughts
Back in the day, I used to chase flashy stuff like Tesla. But I learned the hard way:
If you don't understand what you're buying, you're not investing, you're gambling.
Tesla might be the future. But if you're paying $200 for $1 of profit, you're not an investorβyou're a daydreamer.
Let the numbers speak. Not the headlines.