Should Tesla Get More Credit for Its Earnings Beat?

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Should Tesla Get More Credit for Its Earnings Beat?

© Jag_cz / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) reported its most recent quarterly results after the closing bell on Monday. The electric vehicle (EV) giant said that it had $0.93 in earnings per share (EPS) and $10.39 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates that called for $0.79 in EPS and $10.29 billion in revenue. The fourth quarter of last year reportedly had $0.23 in EPS and $5.99 billion in revenue.

Revenues decreased 3.3% on a quarter-over-quarter basis and increased 73.6% year over year. This was achieved primarily through substantial growth in vehicle deliveries, as well as growth in other parts of the business. At the same time, vehicle ASP (average selling price) declined by 13% year over year as Model S and Model X deliveries reduced in the first quarter due to the product updates and as lower ASP China-made vehicles became a larger percentage of the mix.

In the first quarter, operating income increased to $594 million, resulting in a 57% operating margin.

For the quarter, automotive sales increased 75% year over year to $9.00 billion, with a gross margin of 26.5%. Total deliveries came in at 184,877 for the quarter.

[nativounit]

Separately, the company reported solar deployment of 92 MW and storage deployment of 445 MWh, year over year increases of 163% and 71%, respectively.

On the books, Tesla reported cash and cash equivalents of $17.141 billion at the end of the first quarter, versus $19.38 billion at the end of the previous year.

Tesla stock closed Monday at $738.20, in a 52-week range of $136.61 to $900.40. The consensus price target is $650.81. Following the announcement, the stock was down over 1% at $725.51 in the after-hours session.

[recirclink id=871094][wallst_email_signup]

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618