Tesla stock sold by longtime bull Gary Black on valuation concerns

On Wednesday, Gary Black, the Managing Partner at The Future Fund LLC, announced the sale of his remaining Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA ) shares, marking the first time since 2021 that he has not held a position in the electric vehicle giant. Black cited a disconnect between Tesla’s valuation and its underlying fundamentals as the primary reason for the sale.

Black expressed concerns over Tesla’s current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for the year 2025, which stands at 188 times, noting that earnings estimates have continued to decrease, with a 5% drop in the past week and a 40% drop year-to-date (YTD). He pointed to weak YTD deliveries, including disappointing results for April, as a contributing factor to his decision. According to his analysis, second quarter and full-year 2025 Tesla deliveries are projected to decline by 12% and 10% year-over-year, respectively, which is more pessimistic than Wall Street estimates of 7% and 5% declines.

Black also mentioned concerns about the potential downside risks associated with Tesla’s robotaxi tests in Austin and the upcoming release of a more affordable vehicle in July. He suggested that this new model might be a lower-priced, stripped-down version of the Model Y, rather than a new design that could expand the total addressable market (TAM). This could lead to further reductions in fiscal year 2025 estimates, potentially mirroring the pattern seen in 2023-2024 when Tesla lowered electric vehicle prices to support volume growth.

Despite selling his Tesla stock, Black maintained a 6-12 month price target (PT) of $310 for the company’s shares. This target is based on his forecast of 5.4 million Tesla volumes and an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $12.00 by the year 2030. Applying a 2x price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio to an expected EPS growth rate of 25% from 2030 to 2040, he arrives at a 2030 valuation of $600. After discounting back to the present at a 14.2% cost of equity, Black’s calculations lead to the current price target of $310.

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