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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) Stock Price Was Up 2.5% Today (LIVE)

Ian Cooper

Published: May 16, 2025 10:27 am

Last Updated: May 16, 2025 11:04 am

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These Are Just a Few Key Catalysts Driving Tesla

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After dipping from about $350 to $342, shares of Tesla are starting to bounce higher again. Last trading at $346.41, we’d like to see the electric vehicle stock race back to $400 near term.

Fueling upside, CEO Elon Musk said he will dedicate more time to the company, and reduce his time with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Plus, there’s a lot of excitement about the company’s  self-driving service – which is expected to launch by June 2025.

 

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) were up another 2.5% this morning.

All as investors bet on Tesla’s investments in self-driving cars – a potential $13.6 trillion opportunity by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Granted, recent Tesla earnings weren’t so hot.

Operating profits missed estimates. Deliveries fell 13%. EPS of 27 cents missed by 15 cents. Revenue of $19.34 billion, down 9.2% year over year, missed by $2.07 billion.

However, investors are shrugging off a good deal of negativity.

For one, CEO Elon Musk said he will dedicate more time to the company, and reduce his time with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Two, Musk also said the company will launch a self-driving service in Austin, Texas by June – on schedule.

In addition, Tesla says that self-driving cars and newer models can help repair some of the recent challenges.

According to CFO Vaibhav Tanejas, as noted by Barron’s, “Tesla plans to launch a lower-priced model mid-year. Additionally, the advancement in FSD-related features, including pilot robotaxi launch in Austin later this year, should help create a new era of demand.”

A 90-Day Trade War Cool Down is Also Fueling Upside

Fueling upside is the announcement of a trade deal between the United States and China. After all, China’s tariffs of 125% on American-made vehicles, including Tesla’s Model X and Model S, forced the company to suspend newer orders in China. Plus, the potential risk of recession also weighed on the electric vehicle stock.

We also have to consider that with more potential trade deals ahead, fear is subsiding, which could force Tesla’s stock even higher.

Tesla Also Has a $5 Trillion Opportunity, Says Morgan Stanley  

According to Morgan Stanley, Tesla may be sitting on a $5 trillion opportunity by 2050, with humanoid robots. Reportedly, Tesla is developing its Optimus humanoid robot, which, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk could become the company’s most valuable product line.

“While we are valuation-/sentiment-minded when recommending stocks, we agree with the underlying notion that Tesla cannot be compared to other automaker stocks, not because it isn’t an ‘auto company’, but because it’s arguably best positioned to capture sizable opportunities that exist across auto/mobility and adjacent markets,” as quoted by CNBC.